Falling for a Ice heat
by somethingnew134
Summary: This is a Twlight meets Harry Potter fic. Harry is in his last year, he is in love with Ginny and is happy with her her, he's a rising quidditch star and seems like everything is perfect, that is unitll he see's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
1. The first day of the rest of my life

A/N: This is a Harry Potter meets Twlight. The story is set in Hogwarts in their final year, Harry is with Ginny and Hermione and Ron are together, Voldemort never existed but Harry was still orphaned all changes are mentioned in the story. There is a new addtion to the year and Harry becomes infautiated with this new member of the school.

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//Harry//

Thinking about this one day in the future I may come to a more reasonable conclusion than the one I have now. Maybe I'm not the only one who has felt the way I have, I don't see how that's possible it feels unworldly. I do wonder though that if anyone that has felt this way has blown up and self-combusted because it was just too pure, raw and exciting, much like electricity coursing though your body. That's the way I felt this feeling – agape – unconditional love for a being. When I felt this I felt alive for the first time in years, it was so much I felt as if I was going to burst then and there.

Well enough of that now, I'm meant to be telling the story of how I came across this so suddenly in my young life that it gripped me in this place forever.

Sunday the 1st September 19.., that scarlet steam train pulled into the station on platform 9 3/4 , anticipation was in the air, our final year together; me, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. How I have wanted this to come for years, I would be out in the open world, no more stupid rules other than those bound by law, free to go where ever I wanted to without having hordes of fan girls fowling my every step. But somehow now that it came to it I didn't want it to end, as soon as I stood there waiting watching others wishing their children goodbye I was hit with a longing to stay. I didn't feel that I could say goodbye to this place just yet, it never mattered to me before but as the promise of a next year in the same scene slipped away I couldn't help but want it to last a little longer.

Heaving a sigh I turned away from the others around me to wish my somewhat adopted family goodbye. I was pulled into a bone crushing hug by Mrs. Weasley who was wishing me goodbye. Hermione was looking amused at the assault that my favourite mother figure was doing to me. Finally I was allowed to breathe again, I walked over to were Ginny and Ron were standing taking Ginny's hand in mine it was now my turn to look amused as Hermione was taken up in one of Mrs. Wesley's hugs. Hermione was finally let go as I bit my bottom lip trying not to laugh at Hermione's grateful look as she was let go.

"Ron, I would hate to think what your mum would do if she found out about the engagement, she might actually kill me in happiness." Hermione smirked at Ron as they got on the train. "Mind you she may kill me anyway for taking her youngest most innocent son away from her." She added as an afterthought as we entered a compartment and stowed out luggage in the racks.

"I'm not that innocent." Ron said coming up behind Hermione wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck lightly. Hermione giggled.

Ginny and me sat down still holding hands and rolled our eyes at each other. Sometimes those who were just too much. They had started dating in 5th year since then it wasn't anything but floating hearts and flowers for them two.

Ron had proposed over the summer on the cruise we had all gone on, the only ones that knew were me, Ginny, Fred and George who had come with us too. They had decided to make the announcement after graduation, they had a whole year to keep it a secret, I had no idea if they could achieve it the way they were acting, Ginny and Hermione were already making wedding plans about the dress and venue. Ron kept on asking questions about his stag do, which apparently I was meant to be organising as I was his best man, I hadn't got very far, hadn't really thought about it if I am honest.

So there was Hermione and Ron, Ginny and me, apparently the two happiest couples in the school. After graduation I was planning on asking Ginny, Hermione and Ron to move into _Grimmauld Place_with me, it was the house the Sirius left me when he went on his bike trip round the world in memory of the trip he and James were going to take. My mum and dad died when I was a baby of disease that couldn't be cured, since then I was taken care of by Sirius my godfather and his last reaming friend from Hogwarts Remus Lupin. Since I came of age the two thought that I would like my own place so Remus married Tonks and went off to live with her and Sirius went on his bike trip, he was planning on returning at some point and moving back in, he just wasn't too sure when he would be coming back.

I was looking out the window for much of the train ride, Ginny was gently running her hands through my raven hair as she read a magazine giggling every now and then with Hermione who was reading over her shoulder, Ron was asleep snoring loudly across from me.

"Oooh, Harry, I never knew that you like to take moonlit walks along the coast." Hermione said shaking me out of my musings.

"What?" I asked, thinking that she was the most random person in the world, but no she wasn't. In her lap was Ginny's magazine with a huge picture of me grinning like mad in my Quidditch uniform along with a sequence of questions and answers that I never knew had been asked. "What's that" I asked still slightly confused, looking down at the Questions and reading them. "I've never even been to San-Francisco!"

Ginny and Hermione laughed. "It's one of those made up interviews that they put in at the back sometimes Harry, everyone knows that they are all lies." Ginny said patting my arm lightly whilst trying to control her laughter.

"You still haven't got used to it yet have you Harry?" Hermione said grinning in amusement at my put out look.

"Of course not! Who would want people digging into their private lives constantly and making up stupid interviews!" I was still getting used to the idea of a celebrity status, two years ago a scout from a league Quidditch team came to watch a game, apparently he had heard about my skill as a seeker and came to see if the rumours were true. It turned out that they were, he met me after the game and offered me a contract, the team now came to the school once a week to practice with me for the season, it was rather hectic at first having people follow me round and hang on my every word, especially girls, but that's why I had Ginny, she was my guardian from these girls, and I was very grateful for it.

"Ah don't worry your pretty little head about it, it makes you look sweet and kind, exactly what every girl dreams of." Ginny said grinning.

"But there's only one girl I dream of." I replied pouting.

"Oh and who's that?"

"Pamela Anderson." I grinned cheekily, Ginny replied by rolling up the magazine and hitting me over the head with it till I pleaded for forgiveness.

Ron moaned and opened his eyes sleepily obviously woken by my shouting pleas. "What the hell is going on?"

"Harry has just said he dreams about Pamela Anderson so Ginny is making him take it back." Hermione said looking amused and coming over to sit next to Ron afraid that she would be in the line of fire.

"Why should he take it back she's hot." Ron said without thinking, he looked over at Hermione who was looking livid. "But not as hot as you honey." Hermione looked as if she would hex him, but Ron was saved by the bell, well actually saved by the lunch trolley.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" The old witch asked.

"Do you want anything dear?" Ron asked Hermione, she just glowered at him. "Can I have a packed of Bertie Bots every flavour beans, a caldron cake and three packets of chocolate frogs." Ron asked handing over the money whilst picking up the contents of his order. "Thank you." He passed a packet of chocolate frogs over to Hermione and half a caldron cake, she took it rolling her eyes at him. Whoever said that food was only the way to a man's heart?

Once forgiven the train ride was uneventful except from the few faces peering through a gap in the blinds to see into the compartment. We were one of the last ones to reach the school wanting to miss the crowd of students, by the time we made it to the great hall nearly everyone had taken their seats, I gave a small wave to Hagrid who was sitting happily at one end of the teachers table, he waved back as we took our seats.

I don't really remember much after that, I always found that I forgot most of the sorting process, once the first years had been sorted Dumbledore stood up holding his arms up asking for silence which he got almost immediately. He really was truly a great man Dumbledore, it made me slightly sad that I never really got to know him before that year, but then again that was probably a good thing, if I had got to know him it was probably be in the way that I was being was delinquent. He was halfway through his welcoming speech when I noticed something out of place, I looked at the front of the hall trying to work out what had changed, then I saw it, the sorting hat was still sitting on its stall waiting patiently, or perhaps it was asleep. The hat being there was puzzling me, McGonagall had never left it there sitting through the feast it was usually taken away to wherever it rested, which was probably the headmasters office, it was never left there. I laughed internally, what was I expecting, it was a hat that was left at the front of the hall, nothing unexpected or strange was going to happen, McGonagall probably just forgot, which was out of character but still possible.

I yawned, there was something about that train ride that no matter how long you spent sleeping through it you still ended up being stupidly tired afterwards maybe it was a spell to calm and subdue start of term jitters.

"The forbidden forest is out of bounds to all students so please do not venture into there." Dumbledore said, Ron and I exchanged looks grinning at each other from across the table, we had been there many time looking round it with my dad's old invisibility cloak, luckily we had never been caught. Dumbledore took one last long look round the hall, it seemed like he was looking for something, strange, maybe he was just getting old, he seemed rather advanced in years. He turned looking slightly disappointed, Snape gave a sour look and shrugged in his direction, it seemed like they were having a mental conversation. No one else seemed to notice this except me, maybe I was just being paranoid and imaging things, but then again there was the feeling that something was about to happen, but what?

My question was answered as Dumbledore turned towards the sound of the great oak front doors being slammed open, the whole hall was looking curiously towards the great hall doors waiting, I took one last look towards Dumbledore, who was now beaming, before I turned to the great hall door like everyone else. They opened and there it was, something so mysterious, and graceful it looked like it did not belong to this world. The girl walked towards Dumbledore ignoring the stares of the whole student body. She reached Dumbledore, shook his hand muttering apologies, saying the weather hadn't been the best for running and had slowed her down. This confused me even more, why was she running to Hogwarts? And what was she doing here anyway? And most importantly who was this creature? She had dark brown hair that flowed down to her mid back, she was tall, about 5''7 I would have guessed with a thin figure that was perfectly in proportion, her skin was flawless and as white as marble, in fact It looked just as hard as marble, I wondered briefly if it would feel like marble but I quickly got rid of that thought remembering Ginny's warm hand in mine.

The girl stood to the side next to the old sorting hat looking out towards the hall of people as Dumbledore started speaking.

"I would like to introduce a new student to Hogwarts, Rose Turner. She is joining us for her last year and will be joining the 7th year lesions; I hope you will welcome her with open arms." He smiled looking round the hall, probably taking in the slightly glazed looks that some people held, I was trying to control my face for Ginny, I just hoped that I didn't look like Ron who looked like he was in pain as Hermione glared in his direction with crossed arms, she had obviously noticed that this new girl was out of this world, like no one any of us had ever seen, I could see the jealously swell in her. Poor Ron, I would not like to be him later tonight. "Please put the hat on your head and wait for it to sort you." Dumbledore gestured to the old hat sat on the stool, the girl, Rose, turned gracefully on her high heels that made a small clip sound as she walked and placed the hat on her head whilst placing herself on the stool, and waited.

Those were the few longest moments of my life, waiting for the hats decision, half of me was screaming for her to be sorted into Gryffindor that would allow me to see her and probably talk to her a lot more than would be possible otherwise, whilst the other side was telling me off for even thinking of being with another girl when I had everything I wanted in one sitting right next to me. I couldn't explain it; the burning pain rising in my body was engulfing it, so painful, something I've never experienced before, not the first time I rode a broom, not the first time Ginny and I kissed, not the first time she said "I love you", not the first time we had sex. This was totally new and I felt guilty, incredibly guilty, as I knew somehow that I would never feel this intensely for the girl sitting next to me, or for any other girl I would ever meet in the rest of the life that I had left to live.

The seconds that felt like minutes rolled past slowly, I could her Hermione mutter to Ginny, "I do hope she is not sorted into our house, do you see how the guys are looking at her, like she's a piece of meat, she would never be safe! You're lucky that Harry hasn't noticed her like the others". She sent one more disapproving glance towards Ron's slightly glazed face, Ginny just nodded slightly shifting a bit closer to me on the bench so that I could feel the heat from her body rising off of her. So it wasn't obvious that I was lusting after this girl too, that's what I put it down as, I couldn't say love, though if felt close, even more intense, as I knew nothing about this girl at all. The hat twitched, I waited with bated breath, and then it opened it mouth and shouted "Gryffindor!"

The table cheered and clapped loudly some getting out of their seats and cheering, Hermione looked put out, Ginny looked slightly amused, probably because Ron had broke out into a entuastic grin. Hermione nudged him glaring and saying that if he really wanted her he should take his bloody ring back. I rejoiced on one side and groaned on the other as Rose got up smiled at Dumbledore and took her seat at the end of the table with a dividing space between her and Colin Creevy who was fumberling with his camera to take a picture of her.

"Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore proclaimed smiling, and with that food appeared on the table and snatched everyone's attention away from the new girl.

During the feast there was much talk of the upcoming final year, what everyone was planning to do next year, and the holidays that people had taken. I picked at my food, not being able to concentrate on a conversation in particular my mind running back to the girl, who, when it was safe, I would take a sidelong look at. She did even a more worse job that me at eating, not one morsel of food touched her plate, she sat there looking round the hall, engaging in small quick conversations with the people at the end of the table, she didn't look like she was saying much at all.

Colin was talking to her about something when he pointed in my direction and she followed his finger looking me straight in the eyes. I blushed, her eyes were the most amazing things I've ever seen, they were deep gold that stood out amongst the pale white of her skin. Her facial expressions never changed, a slight frown at the sides of her mouth as if she was thinking about something, how I wished that I knew what was going through her mind, and even more so how I could make her smile, what would probably be Witch Weekly's greatest smile of all time. I pulled my eyes away from hers looking down at my food and busying myself with that instead trying to remember Ginny on my right.

By the time the feast finished it was late, we wandered upstairs to our common room ready for a good night's sleep before school the next morning. We said our goodbye's at the stairs leading to our separate dormitories, me and Ron in the 7th year boys, Ginny in the 6th year girls and Hermione in the Head Girl sweet. The last thing I saw before I made it to bed was the girl wandering up the stairs after Hermione, she caught my eye again, something happened, she froze, eyes wide. After a few moments of just staring at each other she tore herself away and just about ran up the reaming stairs out of site. Weird behaviour, I just shrugged it off as being awkward at being so close to a Quidditch star, this was big headed of me, but what else could be the answer, she couldn't possibly like me could she? No, a girl like that was wanted but never obtained; she was special, something different. Still my thoughts wandered though different scenarios as I slept soundly in my four poster bed.

A/N: How was that?? Anyone that has read Twlight if there are any suggestions mistakes please say. Thanks for reading!


	2. Fnding life again

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A/N: Sorry I didn't make this clear the story is mainly centered around Harry Potter execpt a change in the past all the characters are the same, Twlight comes into the story through Ideas about what Rose is like, she is not a character from Twlight, though her name is partly taken from it, I guess her charateristcs are partly from Bella. This chapter will explain the back story of Rose better. I'm sorry if the idea that the Cullens are not going to be in the story puts you off from reading it but I thought that they were just so well written I could not write them well enough, though I do not assume I can write the Harry Potter charater's well enough either. Anyways the ideas about Rose's family and looks come from Twlight, and much of how she acts is ispired from Twlight in Edwards prespective, Midnight Sun (I think).

Hope you like this chapter, I have allreaddy wrritten the frist four I wanted to see if this story would pan out nicely before I posted it so the first few chapters well be posted quickly but after that the gaps between posts will increase.

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//Rose//

The night was dark and the rain was falling hard, I had to slow down in case I slipped and fell into a tree, at this speed I would knock down at least half a dozen. I slowed down to a jog and relaxed thinking about what brought me here.

My family, well they weren't my blood family, they were my adopted family, my blood family had died many years ago taking all their memories of me with them. It was hard to watch them grow up, change, and eventually put me at the back of their minds, it was harder still to know that I could never have another moment with them in this life time, and possibly not in the next either. As I watched the last remaining one, a young boy by the name of Hugo, writhe in pain as he fought the virus with his last reaming strength I couldn't bare it, I had to do something. I tried to change him, but I was foolish, I couldn't save him, I had no experience in changing people and only knew vaguely how it could have been done. Hugo fell limp and cold in my arms and I felt my heart break, the last remaining survivor of the Elson family was gone, and it was my entire fault.

I cried cradling his limp body in my arms, I had no idea how long it was before my adopted family found me, they followed my sent and found be in a heap on the floor in the dark home that once belong to my family and now would never see another Elson again. My adopted father Garret took Hugo from my arms and placed him on the bed checking him over before pulling one of the covers over to cover his face. My mother, Elizabeth placed a hand on my head stroking my hair trying to comfort me, silent tears falling from her eyes too. My brother James came over and placed his arm around my shoulders. When I finally moved I got up and caught a glimpse of myself in the silver ware that was laying on the side of the counter, my red eyes burned back at me, the blood red of the iris chilling me to the bone. I had never felt so disgusted with myself in my whole life I turned away and refused to talk to anyone, moving silently back to our home.

I stayed there for a few months, silent, not a word was spoken from me, eventually my eyes returned to the golden shade the rest of my family held also. My family felt at odds and there was nothing that they could do, even my father's reassurances that there was no way that the outcome would have been different whoever attempted to change him. I was depressed, grief filled me, every bone, every fibre was consumed by it. It was during these months that my brother spent a lot of time outside the house, coming back every few days to see if anything had changed, nothing ever did. Four months after the incident he came back but he was not alone, there was a girl with him, she had long blonde hair that was contrasted with his dark jet black hair, she was as pale and beautiful as any of us, the one difference was that her eyes were blood red that were slowly fading to gold, rather than our set gold colouring.

James introduced her as the love of his life, we have one and only one main love in life, when we meet them there is little that will keep up away. She gave up her family and her way of life to join us so that she and James could be together for eternity. I still didn't talk to anyone, the girl, Joanna, was good company, but I just couldn't bring myself to say anything to her though I would of loved to. I knew that she understood and knew why I wasn't talking, or doing anything as a matter of fact other than throwing myself into magical studies that I realised that I could accomplish. This carried on throughout James and Joanna's engagement and right up till the wedding, she asked me to be her bridesmaid, I had agreed, I think it was more out of kindness that actual want but I agreed with a nod of the head anyway.

The day before the wedding I received a letter inviting me to come for a visit at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was stunned, our kind was shunned from the wizarding world, I showed the letter to my parents, it was the first thing that I had said to them in over six months. I was worried that they were expecting some sort of apology for my silence or and thanking for looking after and tolerating me for the past months. However, when I asked if I could go and see this Dumbledore they only smiled and granted me the permission. I stayed for the wedding, muttering the word "Congratulations" from my sore throat that had resulted in my lack of use of vocal cords in the past months. Both James and Joanna looked taken aback but thanked me greatly, it meant a lot to them that they had my blessing as I was the second most important thing in James's life. He wished me good luck shouting it after me as I sped away.

That was at the begging of July this year, Dumbledore had heard of me and my powers and wanted to offer me a place in the last year of school in order to help me improve my skills. He had also known about my predicament. I spent the rest of that month in I guess what would be considered as rehabilitation for my soul, if I have one. He helped me get through the worst of it and when I managed to sting a sentence together he had wished me to go back to my parents before I started the school year as it would be hard to be parted from them for so long.

So here I am now running back to the school that will be my home for the next year with the possessions that I would need for the coming year in a magically enhanced rucksack on my back. The closer I came to the school the more I dreaded what would be waiting for me, a hall full of wizards and witches all of whom would probably be opposed to my kind. It was Dumbledore's and mine decision to not mention what I was to the student body or the teachers; they would have to work it out for themselves. Dumbledore had no doubt that they wouldn't be able to, especially Hermione Granger and her group of friends that he had mentioned briefly. There was a glint in his eye that suggested that he had a fondness of them. I asked about them, but he said nothing more than "When they put their minds to it they can accomplish anything, Ron, Harry and Hermione, they are some of the most accomplished, clever, and brilliant people that I have ever met. They just don't know it yet."

I wanted so bad to ask him what he meant by that, but I knew deep down that he wouldn't answer me to the extent that I wanted, so I decided to leave it for the time being.

I could see the lights of the castle in the distance, and now the castle itself, I just hoped that I wasn't too late, I never imaged that the weather would be this bad and slow me down so much, I really should have taken the train, but travelling in a carriage for the majority of a day at a speed half of mine would have been mind numbly boring! The front doors closed with a bang behind me, I pulled off my rucksack and placed it with the other pieces of luggage in the hall, I walked over to the great hall, anticipation rising, oh god, I had to be sorted now and then sit through one of the many meals where I wouldn't be able to eat anything, unless I wanted to puke it up later!

The door's banged open again. Were they charmed to do that or something?! I saw hundreds of eyes staring back at me, I just looked forward concentrating on Dumbledore who was now beaming. I hear whispers as I walked but ignored them making my way to the front. I made quite apologies to Dumbledore explaining about the weather. He introduced me, I was too distracted with worry to notice much of what he said. He gestured over to the old hat on the stool, I walked over to it sitting down on the stool and placing it on my head waiting for something to happen.

I was glad that I was sitting down, if I hadn't then the voice in my ear would have sent me crashing to the ground no matter how graceful I was.

"Humm, hard to choose." The hat said in my ear. "Haven't had one like you come here for many years now. Always so hard to place." The hat thought for a while. "No not there, ah! I see, this is going to be interesting! I hope Dumbledore will give me a resting place down here for this year this would greatly amuse me, I need some amusement from time to time, not much to really do when you are an old hat."

"What are you talking about?" I muttered quietly and quickly but I was sure that hat would understand.

"My dear, you are going to have a very interesting year in..." Then it shouted for the whole hall to hear. "Gryffindor!"

The hall was filled with loud clapping, I stood up took off the hat and placed it on the stool whispering under my breath. "You could have said that a bit quieter, you know my hearing is sensitive!" The hat just made a small quirk with its lips before I turned and walked towards the table that was still clapping. I sat down, leaving a free space next to the person next to me who was holding a camera and was trying to take a picture of me for some reason, I allowed it hoping that this annoying boy would get the message and stop. He did stop with the camera but shortly after the food appeared in front of us he started talking, and this was much worse.

The boy Colin blabbered on about all things to do with Hogwarts, explaining the relationships in the school and telling me everything he knew about the people in my years and the teachers for each subject. He asked me about myself and I tried to keep the conversation off myself by saying that there wasn't really much to tell, just the usual I supposed. He seemed to get the message that I didn't like to talk about myself much then and left the subject alone and went back to his food for a bit.

The food looked wonderful! I wished that I could eat some just to try. Perhaps I could for appearances, I looked around, no one seemed to notice that I wasn't eating, too caught up in their own conversations to spare me a moment. So I gave up on the idea of trying some as it would do me no good to do so and just make me have to cough it up later.

The night rolled on, I had a few other short conversations. There was a weird itchy feeling around me, like one of being watched. I checked the hall with lightening speed with my eyes so that no one noticed what I was doing, there it was the person looking at me. He was around my age, or at least my frozen age, he had raven black hair, medium build about 5''10, muscular, good looking, slightly tanned. He was so human that it scared me. He eyes kept on darting to me every few minutes, it was starting to bug me.

"Who's that over there, the one with the dark hair, the glasses and the scar?" I asked the Colin boy sitting next to me.

Colin smiled pointing at the boy that I had just mentioned. "That there is Harry Potter." He said this as a statement and it confused me, what was he a king? Only to be introduced by name only, no other explanation necessary? I caught his eye, he blushed and turned away after a split moment, I turned back to Colin blankly.

Colin's face fell slightly with his hand as he registered my blank look. "You don't watch Quidditch do you?" He asked.

"No." I answered confused, what had that wizard sport got to do with anything.

"And I'm guessing that you haven't been in this world for long have you?"

"No, not that long. Why?" It was frustrating to not know what anything like that had to do with the boy.

"Because Harry Potter is the youngest Quidditch player ever in the wizading world to be signed on to a league team and then onto the countries national team. He is the best seeker anyone has ever seen! And it's only the start for him!" Colin said in an amazed rush.

"Right okay then." I turned back to my empty plate, Colin didn't try to make any other conversation after that as dessert had come.

The feast finally ended, I got up and followed others clad with the Gryffindor symbol on their uniforms to what I assumed to be the common room, I entered and was suddenly hit with the feeling of home. The place was warm and comfy, everything was exactly what you would want in a home, it felt right, no wonder people were sad to leave this place. I stood around for a second taking everything in, seeing the students file up the stairs I followed them assuming I might as well look like I was about to go to sleep if I was going to keep up the pretence. I followed those who looked around my year they split off from the group of boys they were walking with, one of which was that Harry Potter person. The girl in front of me moved and I could see his green eyes clearly staring into mine, I was frozen, the smell coming off of him in waves was over powering it made me yearn to approach him, to feel the heat of his skin on my cold one. It felt like forever but I finally regained control of my muscles and tore myself away from the intense green eyes and walked fast the stairs in a way that would look more like a run to a normal person.

I reached my dorm room. Those I were sharing with were already asleep their soft breathing and heartbeats sounding in the room. I laid down on my bed fully clothed and closed the hangings around m. Usually I would have had to find something to do instead of just sitting there doing nothing otherwise the images of Hugo would come back to haunt me, but no not tonight. Tonight I only saw deep expressive green, it made me yearn for the boy, his smell, his taste... No! Had to control myself, I was here as a guest, I was safe, I could resist! I took in a deep breath, the smell wafting off the others in my room were almost repulsive now compared to the smell of this human boy, Harry Potter. I would just have to stay away from him that was all.

That night I did nothing but lay there thinking of the green eyes and replaying the smell, the overpowering smell that tested me so much every time I replayed it, knowing he was just down the corridor and up some stairs. Oh, the hat was so right, this was going to be an interesting year. Unfortunately I was going to have to have a front row seat for it!

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A/N: Was that okay? are there any questions or commets?? thanks for reading.

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	3. It's just a crush

A/N: This chapter is the longest one so far, I hope it is not too long... Every now and again there will be the same situation covered by both perspectives, but this won't happen all the time and the perspectives shift from one person to another, I hope it's not too confusing, they are clearly marked.

If there are any mistakes please say because I'm not too sure that everything is correct. I hope you like this story.

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//Harry//

I felt guilty, so guilty. Ginny was grinning at me talking to me over her breakfast, but for all I could hear she was saying nothing, the only things that were telling me that she was talking to me was that she was looking directly at me with her lips moving. The only thing that I could think about as I looked at her was the memories of my dreams last night. This had never happened to me before, I had never dreamt of anyone but Ginny since we got together, and then there along came this girl, Rose Turner. Even her name reminded me of beauty. Nothing was getting through to me, not even the touch of Ginny's had on mine as she asked me if I was alright. What could I tell her, that I had dreamt of someone else last night, was this normal? Finally I felt something, a sharp poke in my ribs.

"Ouch!" I said in surprise, looking at the person next to me. It was Ron.

"Are you okay?" He asked looking just as concerned as Ginny and Hermione were.

"No, you just japed me with you elbow." I complained rubbing the area that he had hit me, it still felt a bit tender, Ron had no idea of how strong he really was.

"Sorry 'bout that, but you just looked so far away and you weren't answering any of us, you even ignored McGonagall when she tried to hand you your timetable, I had to take it. She seemed rather annoyed about that actually." Ron explained holding up my timetable for me to take.

"Oh sorry." I blushed, had I really been that oblivious?

"You didn't sleep well did you?" Ginny asked reaching over the table to hold my hand in a comforting gesture.

"Erm... no I didn't." I muttered looking down at our hands that seemed so right yesterday and now just looked out of place entwined. "Can I have a look?" I asked reaching out for my timetable as an excuse to detach my hand from Ginny's one. I scanned it, glad for the excuse to stop people from continuing to questioning me.

"We're in almost all the same classes and free times so if you want we can do some extra training." Ron said pointing out the odd hours that we have together when not in lesions.

"Yeah, that sounds good." I said enthusiastically, Quidditch should take my mind off everything.

Hermione frowned. "Those free periods are for study so you can keep up with all your NEWT work, not for Quidditch practice."

"Come on honey, a practice here and there won't hurt, I promise not to fall too far behind this year." Ron said to Hermione trying to win over her approval.

She rolled her eyes. "You always say that."

"And I never fall too far behind."

"Only because Hermione is there to pick up the pieces for you." Ginny cut in laughing at the sour look her brother adopted as she said this.

I watched this conversation realising that no matter how this Rose girl made me feel at the moment it was nothing like the connection that us four held, this was probably just a test or something to see how strong mine and Ginny's relationship was, that was all.

With that idea firmly set in my mind I was able to go to Charms with a clear head and return to my normal self. After this the rest of the day passed smoothly with only a few stray thoughts wondering over to the new girl.

* * *

//Rose//

I heard my dorm mates get up and get ready for the day, I opened my curtains forgetting that I was still fully clothed and stepped out of bed. The other four girls turned round to look at me. They stared at me in confusion before one of them broke the awkward silence.

"Rose right?" The girl asked. She had straight black hair with a set of pink silk pyjamas on.

"Yes." I answered. "And you are?"

"Parvati, Parvati Patil." I nodded committing this to memory. "And this is Lavender Brown." She pointed to the girl next to her who was sitting on her bed running a brush through her hair. "This is Harriet Benson, and Claire Oliver." She pointed to the two girls who were still looking at me in confusion.

I smiled at all of them in the most welcoming way that I could, they seemed to already be in social circles, which I guess is expected as they have been at school together for the past 6 years. They each had a daytime routine, Parvati was first in the shower, she seemed the dominate member of the group, Lavender seemed to be her closest friend out of the four with Harriet and Clair seemly to be the other group of friends in the dorm. None of them mentioned the absence of their old room mate who I guess was the head girl as she was not here. I felt like an outside, not that I really felt like I fitted in anywhere in normal society, but it was still an unwelcoming felling. They were all accommodating showing me where everything was and which was whose stuff. Not that I had any intention on using much of the stuff in this room.

Once they had gone through with showing me round the room they started to get ready for the day. I leaned down under my bed where my bag was and pulled it out looking through it for the school uniform that I would have to wear. There it was at the bottom. I pulled it out managing to not crease it on the way. Once I was changed I walked behind the group down to breakfast.

I was trying to surround myself with their slightly repulsive smell compared to Harry Potters so as not to lose control if he managed to get too near, though I was not intending for this to happen as I was planning on keeping my distance from him. I walked into the great hall and walked silently down to the opposite end of the table that Harry was sitting, I sat there listening to the conversations around me, trying to stop myself from going over to where Harry sat and just sniffing the air around him. I was glad when McGonagall brought me my time table, it gave me something to do, it was hard trying to occupy at least 20 minutes of food eating with something when you didn't eat.

I scanned the piece of parchment committing my lesions to memory, defence against the dark arts, potions, Ancient runes, muggle studies and care of magical creatures. Most students only took up four subjects, so they had to move some of my classes around so as to timetable me that meant that today I would have no lesions with a class full of students apart from muggle studies. I just had to hope that Harry Potter didn't have that class.

It seemed as if luck was on my side, I got through the day without seeing anymore that just a glimpse of him, this was a good sign, maybe my behaviour had scared him off, staring at him then running away, who would do that! By the time the evening came I had finished my study and had managed to find something to read that would get me through the hours of the dark night.

* * *

//Harry//

I thought that the infatuation that I had with that new girl Rose had subsided but last night when I slept she was the only one running through my mind, why did this have to happen now, Ginny and me were happy, Hermione and Ron were going to get married. I was planning on one day soon proposing, but not right now, I wanted to wait until we were both out of school and maybe my life had settled down a bit as I would never expect her to tour with me when the Quidditch league is on.

I was quite again that breakfast, but made an effort to act normal; I held Ginny's hand, ignoring the small nagging feeling that the heat of her skin was too much on mine. I hadn't seen Rose since the night that she ran from me. I tried to think of reasons why she would run from me, I hadn't staring at her for hours, which seemed like seconds, and she got a bit freaked out? No. So what could it have been, my ego, which I usually had control of spoke up for once, maybe she was intimidated by being near a Quidditch star. My less ego side of me told me to shut my stupid mouth so I did, chewing on my toast as an excuse to not be involved in the conversation that Ginny and Ron were having about Quidditch, it was really amazing how that game controlled the majority of my life, I shrugged, listening to the conversation.

"No, the Rattling Ramboffs are not going to win." Ginny said.

"Why not, the Flying Gargoyles have a weak side this year and their captain Fernal is out injured from the last match after being fouled by the opposing keeper Gregg Kindle." Ron said waving his fork at Ginny.

"Yeah that improves their chances, but the Gargoyles still have Clarice, the best women seeker in the league, with her it's unlikely that the Ramboffs are going to win, even with their weak side and best keeper out Clarice will try to end the match quickly so as not to give them a chance to even get near 100 points." Ginny said in reply with a small congregation who were listening to them nodding their heads agreeing with her.

"Oh, if it's seekers that you're on about yes Clarice is good, but the Ramboffs have Kevin and Alice, the best beaters in the season! Their aim is near perfect and Terry and Malcolm are nothing compared to them!" Ron replied to a murmuring of "He's got a point there."

That's how the conversation went on, I was listening to them argue, knowing that whatever happens the match that day was going to be close, but neither team was going to make it much further than the quarter finals. It was becoming highly technical, and a few of those that knew little about Quidditch had turned away in search of other conversations. Hermione had her head in a book reading, probably extra reading for one of her many subjects that she was taking that year, I shook my head. As I did this something caught my eye, it was Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy was a spoilt little rich kid that went out of his way to annoy me, him and me had got into a few scrapes every now and again but it was nothing too nasty, just the average school rivalry. But it wasn't him that caught my eye, it was who he was talking to, Rose, she seemed to have been stopped on her way into the hall by Malfoy who was leaning against the wall chatting to her.

Something in the pit of my stomach growled at this. Malfoy's streak with girls surpassed that of Parvati's with boys, all concentration had left the conversation that Ginny and Ron were having and was focused upon trying to lip read the conversation that Malfoy and Rose was having. I squinted, wishing that I could actually lip read, I was about to give up when Malfoy pushed against the wall looking faintly annoyed, he said a quick goodbye and walked out of the hall glaring at anyone that he passed. Rose walked as gracefully as ever over to the farthest end of the table, sat down, and pulled out a thick volume and started to read it.

"Hum." A cough from behind me came floating into my consciousness.

"Yes." I said looking at Hermione.

She looked between me and Rose up and down the table, with eyebrows raised and said in that 'I will talk to you later' voice that she used "Nothing, just clearing my throat." She gave me a meaningful look, as if the voice and eyebrows were not enough before she returned to her book. Ron and Ginny remained oblivious to the conversation that we had just had and tried to ask me my opinion about who would win in the coming league match, and which team had the best tactics between the two.

By the end of breakfast Ron had a glum look after hearing that I thought that the Gargoyles had the best tactics and were most likely to win.

"So they really have no chance of winning at all."

"Only if a miracle happens Ron." I joked.

"Shit. Just bet 40 gallons that they would." Ron muttered, punching the air with his fist.

"You what!" Hermione said outraged.

"Oops" Ron went red.

"That money was meant to go towards the wedding you Idiot!" Hermione said hands on hips, bushy hair becoming wild with rage, or that was how it seemed when Hermione got mad.

"Look, they were really good odds, and if I win we would have even more gallons for the wedding, see I was only thinking of you." Ron said trying to fix it.

"But you are not going to win are you, so it's just a waste of money."

"They don't need to get married, they are already acting like it." Seamus commented to Dean who were following us out of the great hall.

"What? You told them!" Hermione now almost screamed.

"I needed to they found the ring in the dorm before we went home for the summer, they wanted to know what it was for, and then they wanted to know the answer." Ron said going whiter whilst Hermione's anger soared.

"Whatever Ron, I'm still very annoyed, you could have told me that they knew!" Hermione said before storming off to one of her classes. Ron shuffled his feet before muttering that we should get to class. I shrugged, knowing that no matter what they would be back together in a few hours and back to being the loving couple that they were, I don't know what was worse.

"I'll see you later." Ginny said, we were still holding hands, she leaned up and pecked me on the lips. "I'll see you tonight in the common room."

"Okay, see you later." I said as I dropped her too warm hand and turned to walk towards the direction of my charms class. Ron and I took the seats we sat in every year at the back and pulled out our books waiting for the class to start.

"What can I do this time?" Ron asked me exasperated.

"I don't know. " I said honestly.

"It's just we always argue, what if this is all we are ever going to have, arguing, making up, a good bit in the middle before even more arguing?" He asked me putting his head in his hands. "Maybe we are moving too fast, don't get me wrong I'm happy, and I love her, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt her, but still what if this never changes and she gets bored, or I get too frustrated with it and it all breaks apart?"

"Ron, don't worry about it, if it feels right go for it, I have never seen anyone that loves each other as much as you two do. Trust me it's meant to be."

Ron smiled. "I never told you this but the first time I saw her walk into that compartment was something else, I was just eleven but something made me want to prove to her that I was someone that she would want to spend time with, and when that spell failed I was annoyed at myself and I took it out on her. Crazy huh!" Ron laughed a small laugh. "And then there was that time at the Yule Ball, when I saw her walk into that hall she as the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I have never changed my mind about that not even for a moment." Ron smiled again and I could see that he meant it, it was as if there was a pull between the two of them, nothing could break them apart, nothing.

"You see, it'll be fine." I reassured him patting him on the shoulder. "She will see that you only meant well, and then you will apologise and say that you should have asked her about the money first and should have told her about Seamus and Dean knowing about the engagement and everything will perfect." Or almost, I added in my head remembering the why my feelings has suddenly changed for Ginny.

"Yeah, I'll tell her that I'm sorry when I next see her."

It was then that professor Flitwick walked into class, stood on his pile of books and started the class. My mind drifted to Hermione and hoped that she would not mention anything that she suspected to Ginny before me and Hermione had talked. I ran through what I remembered of their timetable, they shouldn't run into each other, Hermione was on her own timetable as she had chosen five subjects instead of the usual four, and Ginny was in year six classes. I started taking notes on the various spells that we were learning that year trying not to think about what I would say to Hermione.

* * *

//Rose//

That Malfoy boy! He really smelt, he was the complete opposite of Harry Potter's smell! The complete opposite even in physicality, he was about the same height, same build, but his hair was bleach blonde compared to Harry's midnight dark hair, his skin was almost at white as mine whereas Harry's was slightly tanned with a slightly bronze colouring from the tan. I would have welcomed the change in smell if it was not so drastic, but this was just over powering. I have never met anyone that I have found so repulsive. And that was even before he opened his mouth.

"Hey, you're the new girl right?" He asked after introducing himself leaning up against the wall in a posing manner that would have some girls swooning at the sight.

"Yeah. Why?" I asked.

"Well I was just thinking that if you need any help finding your way around I'm here if you need it." He smirked winking at me.

Eww! He was hitting on me. I suppose it wouldn't be so horrible if I couldn't smell him, it wasn't that he was BO smelly, no, it was just his smell, which no human or animal nose would pick up, it just smelt terrible to me. But the fact still remained that I could smell him, my face must have resembled something of disgust, which I guess it did. Malfoy's face faltered his smirk was pulling into a frown.

"Or if you need any help with anything, then maybe I could help out." He tried not so sure of himself now.

"I'm pretty on top of everything, and I know my way around enough thanks." I said trying to be nice, but then again if this boy thought that he could just come up to the new girl and just hit on her then his ego was just too big. "But if I do get lost I'm sure that I will be able to find someone to help that won't want to hit on me thanks." I said coldly and smiling sweetly, that sort of look that people give you when they are trying to seem nice but in realty want you to piss off.

"Okay." Malfoy pushed off the wall. "I'll see you around." He walked out of the hall looking annoyed.

I felt bad for doing that but still he needed his ego deflated, and hopefully after turning down Malfoy it will stop others from trying to come on to me. I walked over to the Gryffindor table, trying to not sniff out Harry Potters smell, I sat down and pulled out the book that I had started reading last night, it was a large volume telling me the history of the wizading world, I wanted to learn a bit more about the world that I was now living in so that I could fit in better. I looked at my watch, it was five minutes before the bell, I ran through what my timetable said I had next, ah yes, Ancient runes. I got up deciding that if I was going to find this classroom before the class started then I would have to leave early. I packed up my book and walked out.

I managed to find the class room fine so I sat there waiting for the teacher and the other girl that shared this class with me. I opened my book again and started reading again. I managed to reach the end of the page before I heard the door slam behind me.

"That idiotic boy, what was he thinking!" The girl nearly shouting behind me said, I turned, she looked frustrated and angry her bushy hair seemed to grow with her frustration. She turned around and caught sight of me. "Oh." She was blushing pink now, probably embarrassed that she had been letting out her anger in fount of a complete stranger. "Sorry I didn't think that anyone else would be here." She walked towards me and took the empty seat next to me. "I'm Hermione Granger, you must be Rose Turner." She held out her hand to me and smiled.

I stared at the hand, not wanting to seem rude by not taking it but also not giving her reason to think that I was different by the touch of my skin. "Erm, yes I am." I moved my stare from her hand to her face, moving the muscles in my cheeks to turn my lips into a smile at the sides in order not to show any teeth.

Hermione looked confused but retracted her hand. "Okay, how's your dorm room, everything okay there?"

"Yeah, everything is fine." She was making small talk trying to ease the tension that surrounded us, this was the way that humans felt around us it was like some sort of warning to keep them out of harm's way. I wished that I could have eased the tension myself but I couldn't think of anything t talk about, I wasn't very good at human interaction, and I still hadn't found my voice enough to make conversation with ease.

Silence carried on for a few more seconds before she spoke up again. "So why did you decide to come to Hogwarts this year, where did you go before?"

"I didn't go anywhere." I replied trying to work out a reasonable story.

"Oh, right." She looked stumped. She looked like she was about to continue her questioning but had to stop as the teacher had just appeared apologising for her lateness.

The class carried on, Hermione was giving me sidelong looks every now and then as if she was trying to read something on my face, I started to worry that she was working me out. I took a deep calming breath trying to get a hold of my thoughts but then my head went blank, my throat started burning, and the craving started. Oh no not someone else who smelled brilliant! My head screamed though the mist that the smell had created. It took me a few seconds to realise that the bell had gone and Hermione was talking to me asking me if I was okay. I blinked, the mist cleared a bit more and the smell had subsided. That was strange. "I'm fine."

I got up and took another deep breath, this time I was ready for that smell wafting off of the girl in front of me. It wasn't a different smell to Harry Potter's, it _was_ his smell, I would have noticed the mixture of other smells coming off this girl if I wasn't so drawn to his smell. There were two that were stronger than his smell, one belonged to this girl, another belonged to someone else that I couldn't place, and there was a third one that was the weakest and belonged to someone that was like the second smell just slightly different, possibly siblings...

"Do you know Harry Potter?"

I didn't mean to, I had no idea that I was going ask before I had, everything that I ever did was always calculated and thought out through logic, except what I had done to Hugo.

"Yes, he's a friend of mine." She paused, and for a brief second I saw a thoughtful look cross her face. "Why?"

"No reason, I just thought that you might be."

"Do you know him or something?" Hermione asked confused.

"No." Hermione looked even more confused, so I continued making something up as I went. "I recognise him, you know Quidditch, I don't watch it but my brother's a fan." It was true, since I came back from Hogwarts after the summer I told him a bit about this world and he became fascinated with the idea of Quidditch he had started watching it and following the league.

"Of course." Hermione said smiling, I hope she believe that was it, she seemed to. "Well I'll see you later then, have a good day." She left walking down the corridor and way from me.

* * *

//Harry//

The day had gone past too quickly and all too soon I was making my way back to the common room before dinner, there were two things that I was walking towards, one was an evening with Ginny which was something that I would have loved before but now everything just seemed a bit wrong, and then there was Hermione and the talk that we were meant to have, something that I never wanted to have but knew that I would have to. I opened the portrait hole and walked over to where Ron and Ginny were sitting by the fire with Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Lavender and Neville.

"Hey." I greeted them sitting down next to Ginny on the sofa, who instantly moved an inch closer and put her hand in mine.

"Hey." They greeted back.

Ron was looking upset still. "Ron you made up with Hermione yet?"

"Nope, hasn't been down from her room." He said glumly looking at Harry.

"Don't worry, it will be fine." Seamus said off handily.

"It always works out in the end." Dean said.

"Thanks." Ron said still looking glum.

"Harry, can I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked.

I looked round surprised. "Yeah sure." I dreaded the words as they left my mouth but I followed her anyway to the other side of the common room into a quiet corner. "What do you want to talk about?"

She sat down across from me and started. "I know it's really none of my business and I know I'm Ginny's friend but I'm your friend too so if there is anything that you don't want me to mention to her then I won't..."

She was about to continue her ramblings so I put up my hand to stop her. "Hermione, I know I can trust you. Please tell me what you want to talk about so we can get it over with."

"Okay, do you know Rose Turner?"

That was not what I was expecting, but I guess that would be something that she would ask, it was possible that I had met her, I travel a lot and she might have thought that I had met her somewhere. "No. What makes you think that?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's just you seemed to be looking at her strangely as if you knew her, and then she asked if me and you were friends, I asked her if she had met you but she said she hadn't, she just said she recognised you."

"She asked if you were friends with me?" I was confused it wasn't the normal thing to ask someone.

"Yeah, she said that she recognised you, I thought it may be from somewhere but she just said she had seen you play Quidditch." Hermione shrugged. So her behaviour could just be the whole idea of being near a Quidditch star. "But that still doesn't explain why she asked if we were friends." Hermione continued, it was as if she was reading my mind, even if Rose had recognised me from Quidditch there was still no reason that she would ask if Hermione and I were friends. "I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation behind it. Don't you?" She looked at me with that stare that she used when she was trying to ask a question without really asking a question, and I knew exactly what question it was that she was trying to ask me.

"I don't know, I don't know what's going on with me Hermione." I looked her in the eye and lowered my voice. "A few days ago everything with Ginny was fine it was perfect, but now..." I sighed; I didn't know how to put it. "Something is different..." I paused again, Hermione's face softened.

"Harry, there is nothing that you can do if your feelings change, but you know it could just be a rough patch."

"I know."

"So what are you going to do?" She asked this not pressing anything on me, but wanting to know what may happen.

"I think..." I started slowly working it out as I went. "I'm going to stay with Ginny." I was resolved, there was still this small part of me that still felt like Ginny and me were right, as long as that small part was still there I would do whatever it took to stay with her. Hermione nodded standing up. "Hermione." I called before she turned away. "Make it up with Ron, he's really beating himself up over this, please." Hermione smiled.

"I was planning on doing that, I feel like I over reacted."

"Just a bit." I said grinning at her.

"Oi you." She slapped me on the arm, it stung slightly but didn't hurt too bad so I started laughing. "And don't worry, I won't mention this talk to Ginny."

"I know, and thanks."

She took my hand belfry and squeezed it. "Any time."

We walked back over to the sitting area, the others were giving up reproachful looks.

"Ron can I talk to you, please?" Hermione asked, Ron turned around looking surprised.

"Yeah sure." He looked in my direction, I just shrugged. He got up and followed Hermione out of the dorm room.

I sat down next to Ginny remembering my resolve and kissed her full on the lips, I then sat down next to her on the sofa holding her hand, this was feeling more right already.

"Hmm, what was that for?" She asked slyly.

"Nothing, I just missed you, that's all."

"Missed me?" She asked amused. "But I haven't gone anywhere."

"I know, but still."

She snuggled up next to me leaning her head on my shoulder. "You can be very strange sometimes, did anyone tell you that?"

"No, you're the first." I laughed at the looks the others were giving me.

That was the first and last night that I thought that being with Ginny would be easy the next day held more surprises than I would have ever guessed.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, I'll post the next chapter soon.


	4. Bad news

//Rose//

I'm not dumb, I know that me asking Hermione if her and Harry Potter were friends was stupid, but it still didn't give her enough to assume that we knew each other, there must be something else that made her think that. It was half way through the third day of lesions and I was walking to my first lesion next to the group of girls that shared my dorm, they were all chatting, excited at the prospect of meeting the new professor for Defence Against the Dark arts who was apparently Remus Lupin who as related to Harry Potter in some way. Did this boy know everyone!

I walked into class and took a seat next to Lavender, the girls were allowing me to hang round with them but I don't know if this was just out of niceness for Parvati, she seemed to like the attention that she got from knowing the "Pretty new girl" as people are referring to me as. They didn't say much to me, mind you Parvati never seemed to let people say much around her, she was the one that would start and finish conversations which mainly focused around boys. This took my mind back to the conversation that we had had the night before.

//Flashback//

_I was in the dorm reading my book wearing a pair of pyjamas which I had to keep on reminding myself to get changed into, which now meant that I was changing three times a day, once into school uniform, another time into casual clothes, and then again into these pyjamas. How did people cope with this! It must take up at least half of their existence! The book was interesting, I was now on the last chapter of the first volume and was ready to move onto the second one when Parvati and Lavender entered the dorm, giggling when they saw me, I looked up at them but didn't say anything._

"_Rose, what did you do to Malfoy this morning?" Parvati asked whilst Lavender broke out into even more giggles._

"_Nothing. Why?" I marked my page and put the book by the side of me on the bed, something told me that this was going to be a long conversation. _

"_It's just that we saw you two talking, then he walked away looking really pissed off, and he's been going around all day pissed off as hell." She said managing to catch the other girls attention, Harriet and Claire looked over interested. _

"_Yeah, I notice he was pissed off in potions, it just luck that Harry was sitting at the back and wasn't partnered with him this time." Clair piped up. _

"_Why would Malfoy being pissed off have anything to do with Harry Potter?" I asked, the girls looked at me Lavender looked slightly suspicious but explained anyway._

"_Harry and Malfoy are rivals, they never pass up and chance to have a go at one another, and when Malfoy is pissed he really goes for it, last time they fought they ended up in the hospital wing Harry with a broken nose and Malfoy with a few cracked knuckles."_

"_Oh." I didn't have anything more to say so I started to pick up my book._

"_So what went on between you two?" Harriet asked, they came to stand around me to listen to what I had to say, if I was anyone else I would have been a bit intimidated. _

"_Nothing really, he just hit on me and I didn't like it, that's all." I shrugged. _

"_Oh my god! Did he really?" Parvati asked eyes widening. _

"_Yes." I was becoming bored of this conversation but I knew this was only the start of Parvati's ranting. _

"_And you didn't like it! Why?" Lavender asked amazed._

"_He just seems a bit big headed." _

"_Oh he is!" Parvati had gone over to sit on her bed and started talking. "But you know when he looks like that the he can be. I wouldn't pass up a chance with him! Even though it's not very loyal to Harry but still, Draco Malfoy, I would choose him any day!"_

"_Even over Harry?" Lavender asked, it sounded like they had had this conversation before as Harriet and Claire went back to getting ready for bed. _

"_Hum..." She thought for a few seconds, I picked up my book pretending to read it whilst listening to their conversation. "No, Harry is good looking AND had a nice personality, but if Malfoy ever wanted a quick fling then I wouldn't mind that, just as long as he didn't talk too much." The two girls giggled, that was where I stopped listening and emerged myself into the history of the magical world hoping that they would not include me in their conversation._

_//Flashback//_

The door at the back of the class room opened, out came a man that was tall and slightly on the thin side with greying hair, his robes were black he had a friendly welcoming face and smiled around at the class. Behind him Harry Potter emerged, who walked towards the spare seat next to Hermione and a boy with red hair the three were sitting on the same row on the other side of the room, I didn't think that I could smell him from here but just in case I stopped breathing holding enough breath so that I would be able to answer the call of the register.

"Welcome everyone, I am Professor Lupin your new Defence Against the Darks Arts teacher. Before we begin I will need to do a register to check that everyone is here and to get to know you all." He picked up a piece of parchment and called out a list of names. "Lavender Brown."

"Yes Professor."

A few more names passed till, "Draco Malfoy." I looked in front of me and saw his blonde hair shining back at me two rows in fount."

"Yes." He said airily.

A few more names. "Harry Potter."

"Yes professor." Harry Potter said back smiling at him, I resisted the urge to start taking deep breaths to smell him, I set my stare towards the Professor.

"Rose Turner."

"Yes Professor." Lupin looked up at me and frowned slightly; it was a few moments before he looked back down at his register and continued. There was something in that stare that made me think that he knew something that others didn't, but that was not possible, was it?

The rest of the class passed writing notes about the various spells that we were going to use were and how they were useful. Lupin walked up the aisles as he explained what we had to do for homework as the bell rang, as I packed up my stuff he walked past me his ropes billowing out slightly as he walked, the smell coming off him nearly sent me reaching! Malfoy's smell was bad but this, this was like torture through smelling, my muscles fixed as if getting ready to attack. I sat there ridged and quickly turned my head in the opposite direction to a slightly cleaner smell that was coming off of Lavender.

I made it out of class moments after that knowing that I nearly came close to attacking the teacher. This was a nightmare of a place I decide as I walked through the halls, there was the boy who smelled like heaven, the boy who smelled bad and the professor that made me want to attack because his smell was so repulsive. And I had managed to meet all of these people in the past three days. I had to speak to Dumbledore about this. I walked fast, which must seem like a run to most humans, to Dumbledore's office said the password and ran stepped onto the impossible slow, compared to me, stair case which took me up to the door of the office and I knocked waiting for an answer.

"Come in." Dumbledore's voice floated through the door to his office, I opened the door and walked in. "Ah, Miss Turner, I was wondering when you would come to see me. Take a seat." He gestured to one of the comfy chairs in front of his desk, I took the one opposite him feeling slightly confused. How did he know that I was going to come and see him? "So what did you want to talk to me about?" He asked his eyes twinkling behind his glasses as if he already knew what I was about to say.

"Professor Lupin, he smells..." Ick was not the right word to use, though it did kind of suit the way he smelt, I thought for another one. "...Strange."

"Hmm, yes, he would to you, as I am sure you do to him."

That confused me even more! "Why would I smell bad to him?" I didn't think my kind smelt bad to anyone, we attracted beings to ourselves not drive them away!

"Because he is a werewolf." My mouth fell open. A werewolf! A werewolf in a school! I had heard stories of them, all of them showed werewolf's as dangerous vicious creatures. Why would one be working in a school! Something in my look must have told Dumbledore what I was thinking, or maybe it was just the natural thing to explain after telling people that a werewolf was teaching you. "He's fine, he's never hurt anyone. Professor Lupin was at school here when he was younger and we were able to make provisions whilst he was here so as he was safe and did not hurt anyone as I'm sure you may fear he might." He paused, I shut my mouth finally and listened. "I won't tell you all the details but he was able to form some sort of control with the help of his friends when they learnt what he was, they helped him and he was able to graduate and live life like any normal being would, the only difference was that he would take three days out around the full moon."

"But what about the students, do they know?"

"Yes they do."

"Why didn't I know then?" Did I miss something was there a letter or something that went out informing people about it, my kind and werewolves don't tend to get on too well, we usually are ripping the throats out of each other, not that I had ever met one before but I had never know a werewolf and one of my kind to come across each other and it not end in a blood bath. What if that had happened today! What if I had attacked, or him attack me! That was a devastation that I did not want to experience.

"It must have slipped my mind, the other students knew because he is guardian of Harry Potter who is usually included in the papers and thus his family is written about." Dumbledore didn't look faintly sorry but rather pleased with himself. "But I am glad to see that you were able to control yourself, that is a good sign, it means that you can probably resist the utmost temptation."

"What if he attacked me?" His logic was all over the place. "What if someone that had not come from a magical background aggravated him without knowing what he was?"

"I have full trust in Professor Lupin and he has never lost control, as I said before he managed in his youth to build up self control. Also the students are in no more danger if they did not know than they are not knowing what you are." He looked at me, I frowned ashamed that I had jumped to conclusions when I was the one that nearly attacked.

"Sorry."

"That's okay, it's to be expected, and I'm sorry for not informing you about Professor Lupin. Is there anything else that you would like to talk about?"

His piercing blue stare held my eyes, it was as if he knew that something else was bothering me but I couldn't tell him not yet nothing had happened, I had to find out what was going on myself before I went to him, so I shook my head. "No Professor, nothing."

"Alright, you know my door is always open if you need me."

I nodded, stood up and left I had my next class to go to, I ran though my timetable in my head as the bell signalling the end of break sounded, Care of Magical creatures that was in the grounds. I set off in the direction of the hut where the class was held hopefully no more surprises were set to be there I felt like I had enough for one day.

* * *

//Harry//

It was great Remus was teaching this year, he had decided to take up this post and had moved here with his wife Tonks. I had one half of my parenting team here with me, and I really did seem to need the support this year. I sat down in my seat next to Hermione and Ron, I hadn't told Remus about what I was feeling I thought that it had gone, but then her voice floated through my mind.

"Yes Professor." That was all that she said and it hit me, her voice was like the sweetest melody that I had ever heard, I looked over at her and just stared, trying to avoid her and not look her way seemed like the stupidest idea ever, not seeing her just made her almost glow in this moment, she was the most beautiful thing ever. I was brought out of my trance by Ron's chorus of "Yes Professor."

The rest of the lesion I concentrated on the class, it was as if time had stopped when you are concentrating so hard not to think of something or look in a direction time seems to slow, it's like a slow form of torture. The bell went I walked out walking with Hermione and Ron chatting about everyday things we met up with Ginny and took a walk over to the lake where we spent the break by the lake Ron and I running round throwing small spells at each other trying to see who would land in the lake first, in the end it was me who took a plunge in the lake. The bell had rung a few seconds ago and I had looked towards the castle when the noise sounded, I was standing near the lake just a meter away from the edge, as I looked towards the castle my eye caught a figure walking across the grounds. I watched as her hips moved from side to side with every stride she took, her brown hair flowing in the wind, all this happened in slow motion for me until I felt a push in my side, the wind rushing past me, the picture turning to the side and cold water hitting me soaking through to my skin.

"Oi, Mate, sorry, didn't think that you would loosed your footing that easily." Ron called after me once I came up treading water and spat out the horrid tasting lake water out of my mouth.

"Don't worry about it." I said swimming over to the side and dragging myself out of the lake with the help of Ron.

"What caught your attention so much that you didn't see Ron coming?" Ginny said laughing. My eyes trailed towards the castle for a split second, Ginny looked round and looked too, luckily Rose seemed to have walked on in the time that it took me to get out of the lake. "The castle?" Ginny's eyebrows raised.

"The bell went off." I shrugged pulling out my wand and performing a drying spell.

Hermione picked up her books and walked over to us. "We should be getting to class." A smile was playing at the corner of her lips. "Next time Harry when you want to do a drying spell after being in lake water I suggest that you do a drenching spell beforehand."

"Why?" I asked, what was the point in becoming even wetter than I was before?

"Because lake water isn't exactly clean." She was fighting the need to laugh by now.

"You do look a right mess." Ron started to laugh and Ginny joined in.

"I've got to get to class or Flitwick will be annoyed." She leant forward out of habit to give me a peck before going to class, halfway there she stopped, sniffed and then drew back. "I think you better get cleaned up." She turned and walked away, I watched her as she walked, her hips moved but in a slightly more awkward way if that was possible than Rose's and her hair didn't have the same bounce or flow that Rose's did. A wave of cold water being pored over my head stopped me from continuing the comparisons between them.

"We need to leave now or we will be late." Hermione said holding her wand. I glared in good humour at her before pointing my wand at myself and muttering the drying charm within moments my clothes were dry and we were walking towards Hagrid's and care of magical creatures.

(A/N: I'm not going to do the whole shorting of the words when Hagrid is speaking because I really cannot do it.)

"You are working in pairs today, and for the rest of the year, for the first term you will be raising a young unicorn, now please choose your partner." Hagrid instructed the class, me, Ron and Hermione moved closer together we knew that we were always put together because there was an uneven number in the class and Hagrid was our friend and would never split us up.

We met him in our first year, Ron and I had wandered into the forest and Hagrid was the one who found us wondering around lost, me managed to convince him to not tell the teachers up at the school and since then we managed to forge a friendship with him which lasted for the past six years.

"Sorry you three we now have an even number so I have to split you up, Harry please join Mrs. Turner over by that pen please." Hagrid said to us looking apologetic as he did.

He may have been sorry but it was no consolation to me, this was going to be a challenge, I was now partnered for the rest of the year for hours a week of one on one for the rest of the year to the very girl that was making me rethink my whole relationship with Ginny. This day was getting better and better, my sarcastic voice made an appearance. "Sorry Harry." Ron said as I turned and walked away to the small pen that held a young unicorn that could barely stand, Rose was already standing there looking at the creature that nearly matched her in gracefulness and otherworldly beautiful.

I approached my throat clenching up and heart beating frantically as I did, the more I saw of her the more stunning she became. "Hey." That was the only thing that came to my head, there was nothing else running through my mind the closer I got to her. She seemed to shudder before answering with a monotone "Hey" That left me no clue as to how exactly she meant it, whether she meant it in welcome or just an automatic response.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter." I put my hand out for her to shake it, it was rather a strange thing to do I guess now days but I had always had to shake hands with people when I met them so it just stuck. She looked at my hand, looked back up at me her nose wrinkled slightly.

"I know." She looked back into the pen where the unicorn was attempting to stand up from its sitting position.

"You're Rose right?" I asked still staring at her, she looked as if she was trying to lean away from me without seeming to do so, her face was strained. She nodded watching as the unicorn made its way over to the fence where we were standing. "How do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"It's okay."

Right, she didn't seem to like the conversation much, she didn't even seem to like being here next to me it looked like she would do anything to get away. "We should start with our work."

"I'll write the observations if that's okay."

"Sure, don't you like unicorns?" She had already taken out some parchment and a quill to start recording with.

"I don't know if they will like me."

I had no idea what to say so I jumped over the fence and walked up to the unicorn slowly as it trotted over to me nudging its nose to my hand smelling me. The lesion went past, I fed the unicorn petted it made its bed and checked it for any signs of illness. Rose read off what I was meant to be doing and instructing me though how to do so, she was also writing notes on what the unicorn seemed to like. It was more or less silent through the lesion, every time I went over to the fence to see how it was going she seemed to tense. This must be something to do with me, the unicorn seemed to like her just as much as it seemed to like me but she still kept some unneeded distance from it.

"That's the end of this lesion, you will need to arrange some times when you and your partner can come and look after the unicorn outside of lesion time at least twice a week from next week onwards. Now get going to your next class." Hagrid said clapping his hands together soundly. I picked up my bag that was on the floor leaning against the bottom of the fence.

"So should we sort out a time now or do you want to organise it later?" I asked Rose as she started packing up.

"Now would be best. When are you free?" She still seemed stiff and tense but I carried on the conversation.

"Depending on practice and games I will be free Monday, Friday and Sunday. How about you?"

She thought for a second. "Friday and Sunday, that works."

"Friday evening just after dinner, and Sunday's your call."

"Midday."

"That works, see you next lesion then." I smiled, she just nodded walking away. What had I done, she seemed to not want to spend a moment longer with me that she had to, not that I really would like to spend time with her as I have Ginny, but still, it's something that I'm not used to. I tried to convince myself that that was the only reason that I wanted her to like me, it wasn't as effective as I hoped it would be, there was still this little voice in the back of my head.

"How was your lesion, sorry we couldn't stick together." Ron said walking over to Harry holding Hermione's hand.

"Nah, don't worry about it, it was fine." I said walking with them back up to the castle.

"Little Harmonica was so cute, and she is so beautiful!" Hermione said cooing slightly

"Who's Harmonica?" I asked confused.

"Our unicorn." Ron said grudgingly. I raised my eyebrows. "Hermione named her."

"What did you name yours Harry? Is it a boy or girl?" Hermione asked, I had forgotten that even Hermione was taken with unicorns.

"We didn't get round to naming him."

"Oh, had other things to talk about then?" She asked.

"No." I gave her a purposeful look. "We didn't talk that much, Rose, doesn't seem to like me much." I said kicking the ground with my toe.

"Harry you can't be liked by everyone, you have all the friends you need with us, you have the cool one, me, the brainy one, her," He said jabbing his finger at Hermione who looked slightly aghast. "Then there is the one that doesn't really fit in, Neville, the player and flirt, Seamus and Parvti, and Ginny who is the one you love. See everything you ever need and more." Ron said smiling happily.

"Thanks Ron." I said smiling back, yeah I did have everything that I needed, everything that I wanted and more besides, so why then did I still not feel complete?

* * *

//Rose//

No! NO, NO! This could not get any worse, first of all I find that I am sharing one class with Harry Potter, then I find that I'm being taught by a werewolf, and now I find that I have to work one on one with Harry Potter! I was being punished, that must be it! He was walking over, I could smell him already, god I was slipping into my other side, suddenly by mouth was watering, my throat was itching for some warm liquid, he was nearly in front of me I could now hear his heat beating, it drowned out all other sounds around me the steady beating of his heat quickening with every step, it was so fast so constant. I had to stop this or something bad would happen, I needed some self control, I was fixated my vision on the unicorn in the pen, I turned my head to the side away from Harry Potter who was still walking towards me and took in a breath of fresher air, that's good I now had more control, all I have to do is remember not to breath around him then I may be able to make it through the hour.

"Hey." His voice sounded slightly strangled and higher than it should have been.

Reminding myself not to breath I replied. "Hey." That's some of my breath gone, I hope he doesn't want to chat or I will have to breathe.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter." His hand went out in front of him in what I think he must of thought was a welcoming gesture, I looked at it, I could feel the heat radiating off of it, my skin would feel like ice compared. Scrunching up my nose against the smell that was battling to invade me senses I looked away.

"I know." That's it keep it short, that way you will have more breath left.

"Your Rose right? How do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"It's okay." I was straining to move away as far as possible I needed to breath if he wanted to talk but I couldn't not with him so close, I could still smell him. I breathed in straining to remain in control, his sent hit the back of my throat, if felt like it was bleeding.

"We should start with our work."

"I'll write the observations if that's okay." That way I wouldn't have to get too near him and be able to stand here where the air was fresher, I took out a quill and some parchment from my bag so that he would have little choice but to so as I wanted.

"Sure, don't you like unicorns?" He sounded confused, I looked around at the other pairs, they were all adoring the unicorns, I looked back at ours. It was a beautiful creature but with my kind you can never know if a new animal will take to you, some like werewolves tend to attack when our sent is smelt, I don't think a unicorn would do so but it was better to be on the safe side.

"I don't know if they will like me." He looked even more confused but didn't ask any further questions, he jumped over the gate and we started working.

The lesion went past I was able to breath for most of it and I needed to as I read off what was needed to be done, Harry Potter sometimes came over to have a look at the work, I don't know why he needed to I was only taking notes, it seemed like he was trying to find valid excuses to talk to me but every time he came near I had to hold my breath which was just annoying. The unicorn seemed to like me too he kept trotting over every time Harry Potter was busy doing something else, the unicorn tried to lick me a few times, but I still didn't want it to get too close just in case it was put off by my cold touch.

"That's the end of this lesion, you will need to arrange some times when you are your partner can come and look after the unicorn outside of lesion time at least twice a week from next week onwards. Now get going to your next class." Hagrid said clapping his hands together soundly. I picked up my bag that was on the floor leaning against the bottom of the fence.

"So should we sort out a time no or do you want to organise it later?" He asked looking expediently at me.

"Now would be best. When are you free?" I'll let him choose that way we wouldn't have a long winded conversation.

"Depending on practice and games I will be free Monday, Friday and Sunday. How about you?"

"Friday and Sunday, that works."

"Friday evening just after dinner, and Sunday's your call."

"Midday." I liked being outside during the day, it was calming, more normal, and if I did get a big whiff of his sent it was more likely that someone was around to see us, that would keep me on my best behaviour.

"That works, see you next lesion then." He smiled at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he did. I felt myself slipping, mouth opening to breath as much of his sent in to taste it, I caught myself before I did nodding and walking away as quickly as possible without calling attention to myself. This was wrong, something was wrong with me, in that moment just then when he smiled I wanted more that to just taste him I wanted to know him, this was strange totally new I felt like actual hormones were buzzing around inside of me, but I knew that was totally stupid as I don't have hormones anymore.

I was in my room hours later just before dinner, I was brushing my hair in the mirror the other girls were downstairs with the other 7th years, I had no intention of joining, that would mean more time near the Potter boy and that wasn't something that I could handle. I caught my reflection in the mirror, the gold was fading to a slim line on the outside of my iris, the rest was black, I needed to go and hunt. I stood up and went over to the window, probably better if I went out this way that way I wouldn't have to explain myself. I stood on the window ledge and dropped down, it was a long drop being one of the tallest points of the castle but nevertheless I managed to land cat like on the ground unscathed. I straightened up and started running off into the direction of the forest, the cover of darkness keeping me from being seen by anyone in the castle, this is what I needed, what I was craving, a good feed.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. Did I get where the colour fading out was right?


	5. Revelations

Why does Harry have a scar...that's a good question and if I'm honest I didn't really think about it, how about when Harry was messing about with Sirius wand when younger he accidently made a lighting shape slash with the wand which cut into his head which created a scar, Lupin was away and Sirius isn't very good with heeling spells so he just plastered up the cut, but at it was made with magic it left a scar. Sorry if that isn't a good reason for the scar but playing with other people's wand must be something that little wizard children would do.

* * *

//Harry//

The week passed Quidditch training and homework was eating up my time so I didn't have much free time to think about how I was feeling. I saw Rose a few more times in lesions, we didn't say much and worked mostly separately she stilled seemed to not like me much and I had no idea why she was acting this way it was starting to get frustrating. It was Friday night and I was about to go to the first of our out of class work with the unicorn, a whole two hours alone with her, I just hoped that she would show. Rose hadn't been in defence against the dark arts, Lavender had told Lupin that she was ill and had gone to the infirmary, he looked up at this and looked out the window with a smile playing on his lips before he turned back to his register and called out the next name on the list. That was rather strange behaviour but I shrugged it off thinking that maybe Lupin was going through some mood swings it was getting near to the full moon and he always did get strange moods around that time.

I looked at the time and stood up. "I'm going now."

"Going? Where? You tired already?" Ginny asked confused. Oops! I hadn't mentioned the extra work, after hours, with the girl that kept on turning every guys head, even Ron's every now and again.

"Extra care of magical creatures work." I said.

"Oh right, how long will you be?"

"A couple of hours."

"Okay, have fun, see you when you get back." She said turning back to the fire and opening her book that was laying on the arm of the sofa.

This wouldn't usually make me worried but her tone of voice and no kiss goodbye was strange, something different from what she was usually like. I walked out of the common room thinking. Maybe she knew my feelings towards Rose and was trying to tell me that she knew without words, but then again she had no reason to, I mean it was only attraction right, nothing more, my eyes never strayed, mainly because I had to force them not to but still, I hadn't been acting weird around Ginny because a small part of my still believed that I still belonged with her, and she never saw me and Rose together not that anything ever happened with us. Maybe she was just tired with work or something.

I reached the doors of the castle and walked outside into darkening night, it was still rather warm so I walked slowly over the grounds towards Hagrid's hut, I left a few minutes before I had to so I could have a quick chat with Hagrid before we started work, I hadn't had much time to visit so I thought that this was the best time.

* * *

//Rose//

Friday morning it was 6:30 I opened my blinds and was hit with bright sun light, oh no, this was not good, you could never rely on the weather report! I quickly got out of bed and threw on some clothes wrote a quick note to my dorm mates that I was in the hospital wing and started running down the corridor as fast as I could. I know not the best thing to do, anyone could be around and if they saw me then that was it, I would have been found out, what I was would be revelled. I still took the chance though, if I didn't make it out of the sunlight they would know anyway, I loved my skin in the sunlight it would glitter like diamonds in the sun, but I liked being more human than I was more. It was strange, but when I was trying to be more human I felt like I belonged, I don't want to be a monster, I want to be me, so here I am doing all that I can do to be more like a human so that they don't notice the differences and find me out.

I spent a very unproductive day in the hospital wing, at the end of the room there was an area with no direct sunlight I stayed in bed curtains closed around me, no visitors to open the curtains and cast any rays on to my skin it was safe, but still boring, next time the sun is out on a cloudless day like today then I may spend time in the forest getting to know it a bit better than I did now. Though I could run the full diameter of the forest in a matter of a couple of minutes it was still a mystery to me on the insides, Dumbledore had told me that the inside of the forest had many secrets, different areas that could change on a daily basis, there was a main area with paths running along but once off the path there was little that you could do to find your way out again. He had said that the forest was so complex that even the centaur didn't know all its secrets.

They were a nice herd the Centaur, they were a little worried when they first heard of my coming as they thought that my hunting in their forest would affect their herd, the unicorns and the threstals, after much agreement I had managed to convince them that I would only go after the wolves that and deer that inhabited the area and nothing else, the seemed happy about this and welcomed me in to a certain extent just enough so that they could learn a little about my life style which they found incredibly interesting.

The bell rang for the final lesion for the day, I said that it was unproductive but for many humans it would have been a very productive day, I had managed to finish my work for both the lesions today and the work that I hadn't already done, I had also finished the third volume of the history books that I was reading, for me this was not productive as my mind kept on straying towards tonight. Tonight would be the first night that Harry Potter and I would spend along together in the dark looking after the unicorn which we finally named Alban which in Latin meant white, he was named that because of his pure white coat which he had been born with unlike the others who had been born silver. (A/N: please tell me if this is wrong, I think it is correct but I can't be sure.) I was dreading that moment that the sun went down and I would be released to go down to the pen.

The time came, I decided to leave straight from the hospital wing. I walked down the corridors at an incredibly slow pace, it was even below average for humans, I wanted to post bone this moment for as long as possible. When I made it there no one was waiting for me Harry Potter hadn't shown up. This was just typical, a Quidditch star not turning up; I had thought that he was different but no, all celebrities do this they act all nice and tell you they will pitch in when in fact they never will do over time, great just great. I was not putting up for this if he wasn't going to make the effort I won't either.

I started walking up the slight hill and across the grounds and back to the castle again. "Rose?" A voice sounded behind me, I turned and looked back, it was Harry Potter, he was standing leading out the back door of the hut next to the pens. "Where are you going?"

I was stunned for words I didn't know what made me make such a rash conclusion I just wanted to think the worst of him so I knew that even if he smelled like heaven he was just as bad as Draco Malfoy, but he wasn't at all, he looked worried his forehead creased above his eyebrows.

"I was leaving." I tried lamely knowing that it was the truth but the reasons for leaving were unfounded.

"Why are you still feeling ill, I can do everything if you are not feeling up to it." He said this was such sincerity I felt a huge pang of guilt for my earlier thoughts.

"No, I'm fine, I just thought that you weren't going to show up." If my cheeks could flush then they would be right now, I felt an idiot for thinking that he would be so different from what I had already seen when he's on his own.

"Why." He left the hut closing the door and walking towards me, the light behind him had disappeared but it didn't matter to me I could still see him clearly, and now his smell was coming towards me. I had managed to learn control, the more I was around him the less I wanted to taste him in a way that would end in an untimely death.

"I thought that you would not turn up because you had better things going on and make me do all the work." I was so embarrassed. Harry Potter just looked surprised.

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, I just assumed." I shrugged apologetically.

"Oh," His face fell and he looked grim. "Just because I can play Quidditch and get paid for it means that naturally I would let others do all my work and let me walk all over them because I'm just so much better than them." He was being sarcastic that made me feel even worse.

"Sorry."

"Maybe next time you shouldn't just assume and make judgements of people before you get to know them. You could try to make conversation or something and not just decided that you hate them the moment that you see them." He was angry but his voice remained low, we were standing a meter apart and I could see the pain in his expression as he said it.

"What do you mean hate you?"

"The way you act, it's like you don't even want to be near me, like it pains you every time I talk to you."

Was it really that obvious that it pained me, it did pain me, it made my thirst rise to levels I've never had to deal with, but still I pulled through because I believed that he deserved to have his life, he was good and by the sound of it he did everything he could for those that needed him to. He thought that I hated him, he had no idea! "I don't hate you, I'm just not good around people."

"Oh." He blushed, but he probably thought that I couldn't see, it was quite dark. Silence stretched out for a few more seconds. "Sorry." I nodded and hummed in answer realising that he couldn't see my nod. "Shall we get to work then?"

"Okay."

We walked towards the pen and started working. That was the first day that we started our friendship, nothing was really said but the silence was more comfortable no awkward forced conversation, it was the beginning of something that neither of us really expected but something that deep down we both knew was inevitable.

* * *

//Harry//

We worked in silence, the revelation that she actually didn't hate me was a good one, it meant that maybe we could become friends which would hopefully make this infatuation end with her so I could be with Ginny. The more I thought about Ginny the more I thought that maybe it wasn't right, I had started to question the strength of the relationship, neither of us seemed to be able to tell the other what exactly we were thinking, we kept secrets and didn't mention things that were annoying us about each other. It was like we were trying to keep each other too happy and that was just wrong as it was false. There were moments when everything was fine and perfect and we felt truly happy but the more I thought about it the more I started to realise that we were not happy, just happy enough to keep it going for the others sake. That can't be true my other half said to me or she would have said something, she was quite firmly minded, it's not like just staying together for the kids it something more we enjoy each other's company, we have fun, and I still do love her. The more I thought about it the more confusing it became, I looked at Rose who was leaning on the fence inside the pen now, she was scribbling something down on the clipboard.

"You want to come over and see if Alban likes you?" I asked jokingly, he seemed to like her, he would trot over to her but she would just walk away from him or stay a guarded distance away not like she was scared but as if she really didn't know if the animal would like her.

"Okay." She didn't sound sure but she came over anyways holding out her hand as she got near the animal. Alban placed his nose to her hand and sniffed; he licked it, then nuzzled into the hand. Rose smiled slightly and started stroking its neck.

"See told you he liked you." I laughed slightly looking at her as she stroked the unicorn.

"Yeah, I just wasn't sure." She went stroked the unicorns neck again, whilst I absently stroked it too staring at her wondering why the unicorn might not like her. A cold feeling shot through my fingers, I looked down for a split second our hands met, she brought her hand back quickly looking shocked. Her touch felt like electricity that froze, I looked at her, she started saying that she needed to get back as she was feeling cold, she picked up her stuff and left in a hurry.

I packed up my stuff soon after and walked back up to the castle. It wasn't even that cold, and even then your hands don't feel like ice, there was something more to her than she was letting on and she didn't seem to want anyone to know. I considered mentioning this to Hermione but if Rose wasn't going to tell anyone then I wouldn't, she was obviously scared when she had touched my hand. I just went to bed when I got back to the dorm it was later than I thought but everyone was still up, I had too much to think about to be able to stay up and Ginny wasn't around for me to try and get to the bottom of how I was feeling so decided to leave it for later. Sleep caught me quick and I soon found myself dreaming about cold touches.

* * *

//Rose//

Our hands met for a brief second the unicorns heat from its skin was warm heating my skin but still it wasn't enough, my hands were freezing compared to humans they were like ice. His fingers brushed against my skin and I felt burning fire run through my hand, it didn't hurt it was pleasant, warm, welcoming, but it was wrong. I pulled my hand quickly away making quick excuses about being cold and that I needed to go back. I don't think it would fool him but I needed to go in case he started to ask questions I couldn't answer. Once I got back up to the castle I walked through the crowded common room and without drawing notice to myself I went upstairs to my dorm room, sat down on my bed, drew the hangings round me and laid there wondering about what I could do next. I had two options, one was to tell Harry the truth about what I was, that would hopefully make him stay away from me. The second was to make up some reason for my hand to have been so cold and hope that he would buy it, this option would not warn Harry away from me which was a good thing, the closer we got the harder it became to resist, I was not longer resisting the urge to feed off of Harry I was resisting the urge to touch him, to feel him, to smell him.

I sat up fast. No! I could not! Never! It just hit me out of nowhere, why hadn't I noticed it? James's words when he returned home that day when he introduced Joanna _"I smelt this brilliant smell, like I had been plunged into the garden of edon, I followed it and found her at the end of it, and that's how I knew me and her were meant to be."_ The one I am meant to be with is of my kin not human, that would never work, my strength would crush him as a hand closing over a flower. Somehow deep down I knew that it was true, I groaned, this was getting worse every day.


	6. Letting go

It's snowing!! Outside there is a good 4 inches of snow!!. Well anyway here's the next chapter, hope you like it.

* * *

//Rose//

I was jumpy; on my guard every time I saw Harry from that night onwards, he didn't mention anything about my cold touch even though we spent hours each week on our own looking after Alban, maybe he hadn't noticed. This thought made me slightly more hopeful, but somehow I just didn't think that there was a way that he could have. It had been a few weeks since that day Harry and I had been getting on better there was less awkwardness on his part it had even began to be fun looking after the unicorn. This had me more worried, shouldn't I be distancing myself from him instead of leading him into even more danger by becoming friends? I wanted to but this want was over ridden by my newly found desire to spend time with Harry, the only time I really spent with him was care of magical creatures but the more I did the more I started liking Harry. I was really getting in over my head!

It was Friday night and we were halfway through that evening's work with the unicorn when Harry spoke.

"You coming to watch the match tomorrow?"

I looked up from where I was sitting stroking the unicorn who was sitting next to me with his head in my lap. "What match?" I asked confused.

"The first Quidditch match of the season, Ravenclaw Vs Gryffindor." Harry's grin slipped slightly. "You aren't really into Quidditch are you" He walked over and sat down in front of me stroking the unicorn absently.

"No not really, never seen it played, my brother likes it though."

"Did he go here too?"

"No he's not a wizard." I said worried if this was giving too much away, maybe it wasn't normal.

"Really!" Harry looked surprised which made me even more worried. "So how come you are?"

I was stumped, I had no idea why I had these powers, Garret had said something about them being dormant when I was human much like many who were from non magic families the only difference was that my powers had not come out during my living life, but only appeared in my second life. It made me wonder sometimes if I was destined for this life.

"Rose?" Harry's voice came through as if from a distance.

I blinked realising that I was staring unseeing; the world came back into focus and with it so did my senses. Harry was leaning forward, obviously trying to see if I was okay, he was no inches from me, his smell was filling my nostrils, burning them from the inside, my throat felt like it was bleeding and the fog that came from the lust of the want of the taste of such a sent started to engulf me. I wanted more, I wanted... I felt myself leaning forward slowly, then once I realised what I was doing I stopped and pulled back. Harry was frozen staring at me blinking slowly.

"I'm fine, just thinking." I said trying to cover up what had just happened and ease the tension.

"About what?" Harry asked leaning back on his hands as if to get as much distance between us as possible without wanting to seem rude.

"About why I have powers that my brother doesn't." I said.

"Oh right." He looked slightly less cheerful. A few moments passed in silence the unicorn had fallen asleep tail swishing slightly. "It's getting late we should go." He stood up and offered his hand to help me up off the straw floor, I moved the unicorns head off of my lap slowly and ignoring the hand that was in front of me I stood up and brushed myself off. Looking up I realised once again Harry and me were only a few inches apart, this time I reminded myself not to breathe.

"We should go." I walked towards the edge of the pen and Harry started to follow.

"So are you coming then?" he asked when he had caught up to me.

"Where?" I had totally forgotten the conversation that we were having earlier after the moment of lost control.

"To the match, you have to see a game at some point." He laughed seemly at ease again. "And if we win there will be an after party and you don't want to be there without knowing what were the best saves or the best goals or how the final moments had played out." There was a glint in his eye he was like a child on Christmas, I couldn't help it, I had to smile.

"I'm sure the players will be giving a play by play of the game which would mean that I probably would know more about the game than those that were in the stand just watching." We started walking through the castle and up the Grand staircase towards the Gryffindor tower.

"So you are not coming?" He sounded slightly disappointed.

"Do you need me there or something?" I joked, Harry turned slightly red, his heart beat increased slightly, I pretended not to notice.

"No I just thought that you might want to go and watch that's all." He didn't sound too convincing but I decided to go along with it not knowing why he would not be sure. "If you're not going then I guess I'll just catch up with you at the party and give you a play by play account of the match." Harry turned to look at me as he said this grinning cheekily outside the fat lady.

"I'll see you then." I muttered the password and walked into the slightly empty common room, most people seemed to have gone to bed early in order to get up and go to the match early the next day.

"Night." Harry said as I disappeared up the stairs away from him.

This was getting confusing I thought as I laid down on my bed looking up at the canopy, it seemed as though Harry and I were becoming too close for comfort. I thought about the moment when I had almost lost control I had almost tasted him how stupid was I! This was getting too dangerous for him to be near me, I thought that I was learning self control but apparently not. I replayed the scene over in my head. Thirst, hunger had not been on my mind then, it was just Harry I was thinking about, that didn't seem to make sense, and the speed that I had been seemly attacking at did not fit either...

I thought about this moment trying to work out what I was going to do, it was a whole hour before it hit me. I wasn't going to attack him; I was going to _kiss _him! My head swirled if my frozen heart could beat then it would be loud, thumping against my chest, Oh dear I really was getting in over my head!

* * *

//Harry//

I had become closer to Rose, I guess I could call her a friend now, there was no reason to feel bad about asking a friend if they were going to the match and hoping that they would. You could tell a friend that you would see them at a party without feeling bad. I still felt bad though knowing the feelings behind what I said were growing past those that I had for Ginny. I wanted Rose to see me at my best, when I was flying, just so that I could somehow be on the same level as her in gracefulness, just so that I could possibly be worth something to her. Hermione was encouraging me to eat my breakfast so I started on my plate of sausages, eggs, bacon and toast, Ron was looking worried and Ginny was eating her cereal more quietly than usual. I wasn't trying to lead her on or anything I still did love her I was sure, part of me would always belong to her. Inside I sighed and finally decided that I would talk to Ginny about it, I decided that I didn't mind what would happen after that but I needed her to know that something had changed.

Looking at Ginny I realised that my hand that she usually held was not in hers, she had become distant in the past few weeks; it seemed that I was not the only one that had changed. I finished my breakfast and got up, the rest of the team followed, there was a lump in my throat the regular nerves I have before a match had set in. I walked down towards the pitch, got dressed in the changing rooms and gave the captains pre match speech, we walked out the crowd applauded, cheered and booed as we walked on to the pitch. I shook hands with the Ravenclaw captain, mounted my broom and kicked off as the whistle blew. The game had started, the sun was shining in a clear sky and after a quick glance it was confirmed that Rose was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

//Rose//

I did want to go and watch the Quidditch but for once the weather report was correct, the day was sunny and cloudless. What was the point of going to a school in Scotland if every few weeks there were cloudless days? One good thing about having to be inside today was that I could stay in my dorm for the majority of the day until the match ended as most people were down in the stadium, it seemed like I was the only one in Gryffindor tower, I sat in one of the squashy armchairs in front of the unlit fire. It was nice to be in the common room I enjoyed sitting there and on the rare occasions I did I truly felt at home.

There were cheers from the stadium I stood up and walked over to the window, the noise that was wafting from the stadium was clear to my hearing though it would be faint to that of humans, the commentary started introducing the teams and the players, a whistle blew and the people kicked off into the air. I stood there by the window and watched the match. My eyes found a figure that I knew, Harry, I watched as he flew through the air, I had to blink a few times to see if what I was see was really true. I have never seen someone so at ease, so graceful, only my kind came close, it was as if he belonged in the air, and I supposed he had to have been good to have been the youngest ever seeker picked for a club and national team.

I wished that I could have stood there all day watching him fly around the pitch but no he had seen the small glinting ball that I had managed to spot and follow after an hour of the game, Harry seemed to have noticed it soon into the match too as he shot after it before I had seen it, although I guess that it is fair that way as I was still standing in the castle. Even though he seemed to have unnatural skill in following that small golden ball. A few minutes after I caught up with the snitch Harry had started to streak after the ball closely followed by the Ravenclaw seeker, the chase was short, the speed that they were travelling was incredible for manmade objects though still about half the speed of me, how they could make anything out at that speed was anyone's guess they were only human. Harry swooped down suddenly then drew up sharply with the golden ball in his hands, the cheering erupted round the stadium and just over the crowd I could hear the final score, 230-40 to Gryffindor.

My brother was right Quidditch was memorising, I wondered briefly what he would say if I told him that I was friends with Harry Potter, I'm sure he knew who he was. I laughed at the idea that James might ask for a signed autograph before I realised that I had to go and get down to the hospital wing before the others came back and found me glittering. I looked out the window again, there was a steady stream of people coming out of the stadium, I ran quickly up to my dorm room collected some books and parchment together and made my way slower but still at speed to the hospital wing where I spent the rest of the sunlight hours.

* * *

//Harry//

The game was so much fun, as soon as I was up in the air I felt at home, as if everything made sense, my mind was cleared it was just me and the snitch, I watched the other seeker carefully but I knew in the end it was just the snitch and you that was all that mattered in the last few moments of the game. I dived for the little glinting ball, I felt the cold metal in my hand, my mind flashed up the briefest image of Rose's hand touching mine the ice cold sensation mimicked by this little golden ball. I pulled out of the dive and had one more hopeful look around the stadium, she was nowhere to be seen. The sounds of the crowd cheering came back to me.

"That was amazing mate, 230-40! We've already got a good lead." Ron said as the team came over and engulfed everyone in hugs as we sunk to the ground. The people in the stands were running out faces gleeful, it was clear that there was going to be a good after match party tonight. I looked for Ginny wanting to congratulate her on the 5 goals that she scored but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Ginny?" I asked Ron and Hermione who were both beaming, Ron's arm slung around her shoulders.

"I think I saw her leave already." Hermione said looking confused.

"She probably wanted to get started with the party." Ron said as he slung his other arm around my shoulders. "That's where we should be heading as well." Ron dragged Hermione and me up to Gryffindor corridor where the party was already in full swing. It seemed like the Gryffindor's would not be going down to the hall for dinner, the house elf's had brought up platters of food and cases of butter beer and a few bottles of fire whisky. Mentally I reminded myself to go and see Dobby the house elf who I had become friends with after accidently setting him free from the Malfoy's by throwing a pair of socks at Draco Malfoy as a joke who caught them a threw them over his shoulder only to be caught by his house elf, this action seemed to constitute giving the house elf clothes which set Dobby free from his masters and he was forever grateful. Since then Gryffindor had always had the best supplied parties though the Fire Whisky had a charm on so that only those in 6th year and above could drink it, nobody had worked out how to break it though Fred and George did try on many occasions until they reached 6th year.

"Hey there you are." I said coming over to talk to Ginny who was sitting with Dean Thomas. "I got you a drink." I said handing her a bottle of Butterbeer.

"Sorry, I've already got one." She said looking apologetic.

"Don't worry, Dean you want it?"

"Nah, I'm fine." He looked awkward, but I shrugged it off, Ginny and Dean had been going out before he had broken up with her and she started going out with me. "I've got to go, see you around Ginny, see you late Harry." He nodded at me and I nodded back.

"He's acting a bit strange isn't he? Is he okay?" I asked slipping into an arm chair next to the sofa Ginny was sitting on.

"Don't know didn't say, he's your dorm mate why should I know?" She snapped at me.

"There's no need to snap at me." I mumbled taken aback.

Ginny blushed. "Sorry, didn't mean to, I just have a lot of things on my mind." She said placing her hand over mine and rubbing the back of it with her thumb.

"Tell me, I might be able to help." Maybe if was talked about things then we could become closer more like how I had started to feel towards Rose now.

"It's nothing." There was a short silence before she spoke again. "Good game, huh."

"Yeah it was great, your 5 goals were amazing best I've seen you play." Ginny nodded but turned her head away from me looking round the common room.

"I'm going to go see Hazel, I'll see you later." Ginny stood up and rather stiffly leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before walking over to the other side of the room leaving me sitting on my own, but I wasn't alone for long.

"Hey Harry, Ginny left you?" Parvati had come over grinning at me.

"Only for a moment, she wanted to talk to some of her friends." I smiled back, Parvati was good to talk to but she was still a bit annoying sometimes and it was rather obvious that she still had the crush that she had on me in forth year after I asked her to the dance in forth year.

"You looking forward to the Halloween ball?" She asked.

"Halloween ball?" It's the first I had heard of this I knew that we had a ball around Christmas but Halloween that was new.

"Yeah, Dumbledore announced it last week, Oh that's right you weren't here were you, you had a league match."

"Probably." I shrugged, I left school every few weeks to play a game, it never interfered too much as Hermione always helped me catch up with the work that I missed.

"Well it's happening on the 31st, it's open to third years and above, I'm really looking forward to it apparently they are going to have some sort of entertainment, like the weird sisters we've had before but they are muggle this time." She grinned.

"A Muggle band coming to play at Hogwarts which is obviously a school of magic?" I was sceptical but Parvati was usually right about her gossip.

"Yeah, how amazing would that be, I used to listen to Muggle music, though I don't think that It will be Steps or Sclub 7 playing." She looked slightly disappointed at this, I wasn't, I vaguely remembered the groups that she was talking about from the times that I used to sit in the car with Uncle Vernon who complained about the music on the radio, it was the only place that I ever have agree with my uncle.

"That's quite irresponsible of Dumbledore don't you think? What happens if they see magic being preformed, and I'm sure it's against wizading law to reveal ourselves to the muggle population."

"It is, but someone told me that he was going to set a charm on the great hall so as to make it impossible to use magic just for that one night. Filtch wants him to assign it in the halls permanently, but Dumbledore shot this down saying that the students needed to learn how to obey rules on their own and not forced to obey them." How she knew all this I had no idea, was it possible that she had some sort of recording equipment around the school so that she would never miss out on any piece of gossip that occurred in the school, this I doubted but still I sis wonder.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments until she brought my attention to something else. "I wonder where she had been?" Parvati said more to herself than to me.

"Who?" I asked no really interested but not wanting to seem rude if she was talking to me.

"Rose Turner, strange girl she is." I looked up and followed Parvati's gaze over to the portrait hole where Rose was indeed standing looking slightly overwhelmed by the number of people that were packed into the common room.

"Why do you say that?" I asked still not taking my eyes off Rose who look reluctant to go further into the common room and into the mass of people that were there.

"She's like a mixture of Hermione and Aphrodite if you don't mind me saying." I who was taking a sip of my drink as she said this spluttered into my glass laughing.

"Why do you say that?" I asked wiping my chin free of the liquid and refilling my now empty glass with a refill charm.

"Because look at her." And I did turning back and looking at Rose who was standing leaning against the wall reading trying to ignore the part that was happing around her. "I never see her without a book in her hand, she's not interested in any girly conversation, and she seems to have an in-depth knowledge of nearly everything."

"So, that makes her like Hermione then does it?" I turned back to Parvati.

"Yes. Sorry if I'm offending but it's true."

I thought about this for a moment before reluctantly nodding, I guess it wasn't an insult what Parvati had just said. "So where does Aphrodite come in then?"

"Harry you can't tell me you haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?" I asked trying to play dumb though I knew exactly what she was about to say next.

"Come on look at her, and tell me what you see, I promise I won't tell Ginny." I laughed but looked back a Rose and really looked at her scrutinising her beauty, it was flawless. "You see." Parvati watched as I looked at Rose. "I don't know anyone who looks that good on a daily basis, she even looks like that when she gets up in the morning, it's as if she had just jumped out of the front cover of a Vogue."

"So what she's pretty, that doesn't make her strange." I looked away from Rose again who had looked up and caught me staring at her.

"She doesn't seem to like the attention that she gets even from Malfoy, Hermione though she despises him wouldn't min him hitting on her but Rose..." She trailed off.

"Malfoy hit on her!" I said angrily, a fire burned up in me, all that I wanted to do was punch that ferrets face in for even thinking that he could hit on Rose.

"Yeah." Parvati looked rather scared. "Harry why are you angry, it's not as if you are going out with her or anything."

"No I'm not." Suddenly remembering that I had no right to be angry at someone else liking Rose, though I was. "It's just Malfoy." I shrugged and Parvati nodded, apparently there was no more explanation needed.

"Oh My God." Lavender exclaimed coming over and sitting down next to Parvati. "Guess who just asked me to go to the ball with them!" She exclaimed again ignoring my presence.

"Who?" Parvati asked eagerly back.

This was where I decided that I no longer wanted to be involved in their conversation, so I stood up still holding the butterbeer bottle and my glass of fire whisky and walked over to the other side of the room, I heard distinct giggling behind me coming from the two girls and laughing to myself quietly, they still acted like they were twelve sometimes. I didn't mean to walk over to her, it was more like my feet dragged me over without realising, I hadn't been on any set course but I ended up standing right in front of her in a matter of seconds after pushing my way through the crowd.

"Hey, you didn't make it to the game then?" I asked, knowing that she hadn't but it was the first thin that came into my head.

"No sorry." She said looking up from her book and closing it. "Had some work to do, only just finished." She placed.

"You couldn't leave it to tomorrow?" Even Hermione didn't pass up Quidditch for work, though I sometimes wondered if this was just out of support for Ron, Ginny and me rather than an actual secret love of watching the game.

"No, it was important, and complicated, Ancient Runes, and I didn't fancy having to compete with a whole room of busy students all of whom would be in the Library trying to complete their work last minute." I couldn't help but smile at that, it was a perfect description of what the Library was like on a Sunday.

"You should get Hermione to help you out if you get stuck, she's really good at that sort of thing."

Rose nodded. "I don't think I know her well enough to ask for help."

"Don't worry about that, she'll probably be ecstatic that she has someone that's on the same level intellectually to talk to for once, I think she finds it frustrating with me and Ron sometimes, we have no idea what she is going on about most of the time."

Rose smiled slightly, this made me feel warm inside, she didn't smile often, but when she did it was like her whole face had lit up.

"Oh I'm sorry I'm being rude, do you want a drink?" I asked handing her the bottle of butterbeer. "Sorry if it's a bit warm I've been holding it for a while, I got it for Ginny but she already had one."

"Thanks." She said taking it to her lips and tipping the bottle up. "It's nice."

"What you've never tasted it before?" I lifted my own glass up and took a sip of the hot liquid

"No."

We lapsed into silence, I took another sip. Where was Ginny? My mind suddenly wondered it wasn't like we had to be stuck at the hip all the time but to leave me for this long at a party was unusual, but things had been unusual with her recently anyway.

"Harry, there you are, been looking for you, you want to join us?" Ron said pointing to an area of seats where Hermione, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Ginny and Parvati were sitting.

"Yeah sure. Rose you coming." I said as I followed Ron through the crowd casting a look back at her. She followed me, Dean, Seamus, Ginny and Ron all looked at her slightly puzzled, it was then I realised that they had never really talked to her before. "This is Rose as some of you know." I said introducing her, she smiled forcefully as they waved at her "Rose this is Dean, Seamus, Ginny and Ron." I said as I pointed out each person in turn, "I think you know Hermione, Lavender and Parvati." She nodded and looked slightly more comfortable. I took a seat next to Ginny who smiled at me as I did though not as welcoming as I was used to from her.

"What's that?" Hermione said pointing to the book in Rose's hands, but before she could answer Hermione had already deciphered the title. "I've read that one, what did you think of his theory behind the Vechmas charm, I thought it was fascinating but a little unguided, I preferred Nichomuls's theory it was more complex but the spell was stronger when used the way he describe it." Rose sat down next to Hermione throwing herself into the highly educational discussion that she was having with her about the Vechmas charm which I, nor anyone else in the group by the look on their faces, had heard of. This left me sandwiched between Rose and Ginny for the rest of the night which wasn't exactly the best as Ginny though she did talk to me looked slightly uncomfortable.

* * *

//Rose//

I followed behind Harry around the edge of the crowd to come and sit with his friends, I was careful not to get too close to anyone that I walking past in case they knocked into me accidently and found out that my touch was like ice. I reached the group, Parvati and Lavender smiled at me as I came over, Hermione smiled too but looked closely at the book in my arm, the others that I didn't know the names of looked at me slightly confused, the red haired boy who had come over to talk to Harry obviously hadn't realised that I would be joining them as well. Suddenly I became very nervous what was I meant to do make conversations with complete strangers, they all seemed to be friends of Harry's and though I recognised most of their faces from either class or who Harry sat with a breakfast I had no idea how they would take to me. And what did this mean anyway? Did Harry think that our friendship was on par with his with those that were sitting there now? This thought both comforted and scared me, I meant something to him, we had become friends, not just work buddies or friends that you talk to during lesions but he actually wanted to hang out with me as such. This thought scared my even more, so much for trying to put some distance between us.

"This is Rose as some of you know." Harry said once he noticed the puzzled expressions on some of the others faces, however I don't think they were wondering what my name was I got the feeling that they already knew, their puzzlement was probably more to do with what I was doing there more than anything. "Rose this is Dean, Seamus, Ginny and Ron." Harry went on pointing at each of them in turn, Dean and Seamus both smiled and exchanged a small glace between each other which I don't think anyone but me and Hermione noticed as she gave them a small glare. Ginny smiled as Harry pointed at her but she didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was going on, Ron smiled as well staring at me slightly, Hermione glared at him as well and he went slightly red. "I think you know Hermione, Lavender and Parvati." I nodded commiting all the new names to memory feeling slightly more comfortable that they were all welcoming.

Harry went and took a seat in the arm chair next to Ginny who smiled at him, Ron had sat down in an arm chair next to Hermione meaning that I either had to sit in the middle of Dean and Seamus who had seemed to move up to create the room on the sofa for me, or sit next to Hermione on the sofa which would mean that I would be sitting next to Harry as well. I didn't know which one to choose and hesitated a bit. Hermione seemed to have noticed this and engaged me in conversation.

"What's that?" Hermione said pointing to the book in my hands, but before I could answer Hermione had already deciphered the title. "I've read that one, what did you think of his theory behind the Vechmas charm, I thought it was fascinating but a little unguided, I preferred Nichomuls's theory it was more complex but the spell was stronger when used the way he describe it." I took this as an invitation to sit next to her and I threw myself into the conversation happily, and though it was unusual for me to talk so much in one go even with Harry I managed to hold the conversation easily, I had never really talked to Hermione much but even so we were able to talk easily to one another it was strange I don't think that I had experienced this ease for a while it was as if we were old friends catching up over time. I smiled inwardly at this thought.

I spent the rest of the party talking to Hermione and then the others, I noticed myself close to laughing sometimes at some of the things that the others said, Ron was telling me about the time when Seamus tried to turn water into wine and ended up with shards of glass in his hair, I grinned as Seamus tried to defend himself by saying that he was only in first year.

The others started yawning, there were a few bottles of fire whiskey on the table and many more bottles of butterbeer no one seemed to have noticed that I had not taken a sip of mine all night, everyone seemed to be feeling the effects. Shortly after people started to retire to their dorms, soon there were only four of us left, Harry, Ron Hermione and me.

"Hermione I love you." Ron said drunkenly leaning his head on her shoulder.

"I know." She said rolling her eyes at Harry and me, Harry chuckled slightly. "Come on better get you upstairs or you will go to sleep right here. See you tomorrow Harry, good night Rose." She led Ron up stairs who stumbled a bit on the way singing a song that went something like 'Weasley is our king'.

"Sorry about him." Harry said to me. "He's always like that when he's had a bit too much to drink."

I smiled. "So how was the game you never told me?"

"It was good, one of the best games that the team had played, we won 230-40."

"That seems like a big gap, you must have played very well." I had no idea how the points ran in Quidditch, Harry seemed to realise this so he started explaining to me who it worked, the points system was simple, 10 points for each goal and 150 for the catching of the golden snitch that resulted in the end of the game. "Right so what if the golden snitch gets lost, like flies away?" It didn't make sense that if the ball could go anywhere of its own free will that it would not fly away of its own accord.

Harry laughed. "That's the problem that they had when they first invested Quidditch and used to used snidgets that where little golden birds, then this witch came along and invented a spell that was placed upon the stadium and balls, bludgers would do the same, fly away, this spell made it so that there was some limitation, I think it's something like 400 meters range from the point that the balls were released in all directions."

"So what happens if the balls go outside the range?"

"They can't it's like a barrier, but if they do manage to make it through I suppose that they fall to the ground as once they pass through the barrier the charms on them are stripped making them just normal balls with no magic like the quffale." I nodded, I didn't realise that Quidditch was so interesting and complex it was quite fascinating really.

There were a few moments of silence and I realised that I was alone with Harry who was slightly drunk and who was looking at me, I started to feel uncomfortable, I drew in a calming breath, however this was a mistake his sent once again hit the back of my throat throwing up all my senses and nearly making me give way to the desire that was burning through me. "I better go." I said getting up adding 'Before I attack you' in my head as an afterthought.

"Rose, wait." He reached out and grabbed my hand, suddenly the warmth from his hand shot through me, it took all my strength and will power to no lean further into the warmth. I turned to look at him expecting to see horror flash in those brilliant green eyes, instead I found him looking at my hand eyebrows knitted together in deep thought. "Why is your skin so cold?"

He still hadn't let go of my hand, the feeling make it so hard to concentrate on what he was saying so I said the first thing that came into my head. "I'm not like you." As soon as I said this I knew it was a mistake.

Harry's face did not change. "I guessed as much." There was a moment of silence as he contemplated my hand in his for a few more moments longer before standing up. He was taller than me by a couple of inches, he didn't let go of my hand, he looked straight into my eyes and spoke. "What are you?" He didn't sound vicious, it was more like he was wondering out loud trying to work me out.

His breath was warm and moist, it hit me like a big plank of wood making me dizzy, desire was clouding me again I tried to stop breathing so as to get a grip on myself but the smell, the taste of the air around me was just him. "I'm dangerous, that's what I am, a monster, a creature of the night." He was putting his life in so much risk just standing there, we couldn't be friends a voice inside my head told me, he had to know. "It would be best for all of us if we weren't friends." He looked shocked. "I could kill you, I would like to kill you." I looked hard into his eyes willing him to believe me. "It would be best if I would just stay away." I removed my hand from his and walked away without looking back.

That was the hardest thing that I had ever had to do, I knew how I felt about him, but in those moments where he was so close, touching, I wanted nothing more than to taste him, it took every fibre in my being not to. I knew I would have been fighting a losing battle if I tried to say, be normal be his friend. His green eyes pierced into my thoughts, I leaned against the wall on my way up to my dorm, the hurt that I saw in those brilliant green eyes, the confusion and the pain that _I_ had caused burned me. I was a monster, and Harry deserved so much better than me it was best for him, no matter how much pain it caused me.

That's what I told myself, and I believed it, I had just thrown away my only chance at true love, love that would survive even through death itself, my never beating heart had never felt so cold, it was as if it had just iced over.

* * *


	7. Breaking up is not always hard to do

* * *

I hope the last chapter was okay, the gaps between updates will start to get longer now becasue I have to wright more and i have very little time at the moment, i'm finding it hard to post even already written ones.

Hope you like it.

* * *

//Harry//

I woke up the next day, my head hurt slightly, I opened my eyes sitting up in my bed opening the hangings round my bed. I blinked against the harsh sunlight that hit me, once I had got used to the sunlight I walked quietly over to the bathroom trying not to wake up my dorm mates who were all snoring loudly, how anyone could sleep through the noise they made was a mystery I thought laughing to myself slightly. Reached the bathroom and opened the door silently, I grabbed one of the glasses from the side and filled it up with cold water from the tap drinking down the liquid quickly to quench my thirst. I put the glass down, leaned over the basin and splashed my face with the cold water that was still running from the tap. I looked up into the mirror that hung over the basin, the reflection was fuzzy as I wasn't wearing glasses but even so I could see green eyes staring back at me. As I looked into the mirror the events of last night came floating back to me.

//Flashback//

"_I better go." Rose said as she stood up, we were alone in the common room and through the slightly drunken haze that had engulfed me in the final hours of the party I made a split desision. I reached out my hand and grabbed hers. _

"_Rose, wait." I said, I felt the cold sensation from the touch of her skin, the same coldness that I felt when our hands brushed against one another that day whilst looking after the unicorn. Somehow the coldness was pleasant, I stared down at our hands my fuzzy mind was trying to work out the felling that I was feeling, there was something surprisingly right about our hands. I said the question before I had even thought about it. "Why is your skin so cold?" _

_Rose looked slightly shocked at this looking down at the hands too looking slightly scared, I didn't know what I was expecting some long answer telling me exactly why her skin was so cold, or was I expecting nothing at all and she would just leave without saying anything. "I'm not like you." That's what she said._

_I kept my eyes on our hands not wanting to look up into her eyes. I knew she was different her beauty, her gracefulness, the coldness of her skin, it was like she drew him to her. "I guessed as much." I looked at our hands for a moment longer before standing up, I looked down at her staring into her golden eyes with a black outline, they seemed to change colour every now and again, their colour was usually golden it was nothing like I had ever seen before and for the first time I wondered out loud. "What are you?" _

_I waited for a few moments bracing myself for what she may say next, I had no idea what it would be but it what she said I was not expecting even in my wildest imagination. "I'm dangerous, that's what I am, a monster, a creature of the night." She said this quickly staring straight into my eyes. "It would be best for all of us if we weren't friends. I could kill you, I would like to kill you." There was nothing that I could do a shot of fear hit me at those words, I looked further into her eyes and realised that I didn't care. She started to remove her hand from mine. "It would be best if I would just stay away." My fear gave way to confusion and pain, why was she leaving I felt so close to her, not even Ron or Hermione had ever felt so close to me as Rose did just then I wanted to do something to stop her from going, to be selfish to make her stay, I didn't care if it hurt me I needed her._

_I had never wanted something so bad, needed something so bad, it was like a drug and I was addicted. I would have done anything to have made her stay, I felt sick, I couldn't move pain and fear were raging a fierce battle inside of me half of me told me to never see her again and to stay well away, another half told me to call after her. I slumped back into the seat that I had got up of, I was shocked, what should I do now. It took me a long while before I heaved myself out of the seat and up to my bed. I had a night of restless sleep dreaming about brown hair streaking out behind a ghostly white figure that was running faster that anything that I had ever seen, the golden eyes were no more they were deep black, she ran fiercely through the forest moving easily through it, she turned and sniffed the air and walked slowly over towards me, my heart beat faster as she approached, she brought up a ghostly white hand and caressed my cheek, the touch was like ice but I didn't flitch. The dream ended and I was in my dorm room in my warm bed, there was a feeling of incompleteness taking over me and then in the early hours of the morning I realised that I had fallen in love, the kind of love the burned such a passion inside of my soul that I would go through the fires of hell and back just to see her half smile on her face. _

_After that revelation I fell to a dreamless sleep until the sun rose and shined brightly over the grounds of Hogwarts. _

_//End of Flashback//_

The pain ripped though me once again, I saw her face, the defiance that in her eyes when she turned and left, I imagined those eyes as I stared into my reflection trying to see deeper into them for emotions undercover. Pain, longing, and love. As soon as I had seen them they disappeared as a sharp knock on the door brought me out of my concentration.

"Harry you in there, I need the loo." It was Neville.

"Yeah, just give me a second." I took a towel off of the rail and dabbed my face with it clearing it of the cold water. I had seen the emotions that lay undercover in those deep golden eyes, and no matter what she said he would not let her leave even if in the end it hurt me more than anything.

"Harry where are you going?" Ron asked from his bed as I was leaving the dorm fully dresses for the day.

"I'm going to see Lupin." I said opening the door and before he could answer or ask me another question I had gone.

I made it to Lupin's room and knocked on the door.

"Hello Harry, how are you, long time no see." Tonks said as she answered the door her bright purple hair hanging loosely down her shoulders, she dragged me into a hug.

"I'm good Tonks, how are you?" I asked as I was let go.

"Never better, I love being back at Hogwarts, even if I do have to travel to the minstery every day." Tonks was an aurora and worked at the minstery, she lived at Hogwarts with Lupin and would take the floo network to work. Tonks was so much fun, when I first met her I was confused why she was with Lupin him being so much older than her, but seeing them together made it obvious, they loved each other. Seeing Lupin on his wedding day had been one of my happiest moments I remember how happy he had been. "I'm guessing your here to see Remus, oh I mean Professor Lupin." She corrected giggling.

"Yeah, is he here?"

"I'm here." Lupin answered. "What's this about?" I must look rather guilty or embarrassed because without waiting for an answer he led me towards his private study. "We can talk in here." He opened the door for me and I walked inside. The room was warmed by a live fire that was in the grate, there was a large mahogany desk stacked with papers, there were many squashy arm chairs, the way it was set up reminded me slightly of Gryffindor tower. I raised my eyebrows at him, Lupin laughed. "Yes, I did model the room on the common room." He took a seat next to the fire and I joined him taking the one across from him. "What was it that you wanted?"

"Well..." I thought for a second wondering how to put what I was going to say. For a few moments I even wandered what I was doing here, I never really talked to adults about my relationships, I liked being private about things that was made difficult by all the newspaper and magazine articles about me. But Lupin was a good listener, and I needed to tell someone that may understand me so I went on explaining about Rose and me.

Lupin nodded and I reached the end of my story telling him about last night. "What about Ginny?"

That was like a brick hitting the wall, Ginny! I had totally forgotten about my girlfriend, even though we didn't seem much more than friends recently. "I guess I'll have to tell her." I said gulping, that was going to be one conversation that I really didn't want to have.

"You will." He said looking pointy at me as if telling me to do it sooner or later. "But do you really think that you and Rose have a chance, she told you that she is dangerous maybe you should heed her warnings."

"What do you mean, do you think she will hurt me?" I was taken aback, he was the last person on earth that I thought would be saying this to me, he was a werewolf surly he understood that love meant more that what you were.

"No, after what you have told me I don't think she would intentionally, but she may do it unintentionally."

I thought this through for a few moments, didn't I decide that I would do anything to be with her, even risk my safety? "What do you know?" A sudden thought hit me.

"I know more than most."

"So you know what she is?" I asked in wonder.

"Yes." He answered stiffly.

"How?"

"My nose is more sensitive than most." He smiled slightly at me.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" I asked.

"No, I'll leave that up to her, or for you to work it out for yourself."

"Is she really as dangerous as she said that she is?" I asked, maybe this was the reason for Lupin's reluctance.

"Yes and no." He said and after a look from me asking for more explanation he continued. "Yes, she can kill you, her kind has a sort of...thirst...and no man or wizard will stand much chance against them with or without magical powers. On the other hand though she has an amazing exercise of control which I have seen in few who are less drawn than her." I looked at him expecting more explanation but soon realised that there was none that was going to come I just had to use what I had. "So what are you going to do now Harry."

I thought this over trying to work out the best possible route to take. "I'll tell her that I don't care what she is."

"You do that." Lupin said as I got up and made my way over to the door of his study. "Oh and Harry, good luck."

I nodded back walking out of his rooms and back into the corridor, I was abuzz with nerves and excitement, I walked straight down to the paddock that held Alban I decided to come down slightly early but even so as I came close to the paddock I saw her brown hair that was flowing softly in the wind.

"Hey." I said quietly behind her, Rose didn't turn around she just walked into the paddock.

"We should get to work." Those was the only thing she said for the entire time that we were there working. I had tried to start conversation many times, had even said to her that we needed to talk, the only thing she did whenever I said this was look up and glare at me which made me quite. This was going to be harder than I thought.

* * *

//Rose//

I felt terrible after what I had done last night, but knew that if I didn't want to hurt Harry I would leave him, so for the two hours that we worked I worked in total silence glaring at him every time that he tried to speak inside I pained, but in the long run I was sure this was the best thing to do. Once we finished I didn't even give him a chance to make a noise before I was out of the paddock and walking swiftly across the grounds towards the castle. The few weeks flew swiftly by until before I noticed it was October 30th and the night before the Halloween ball that everyone was so excited about going to, everyone it seemed except me.

I couldn't help it I had to watch him, I spent much of my time wondering in the shadows watching him fly, every time I saw him so graceful it made me smile. In the common room I would sit in a shadowed corner pretending to do work whilst really watching his group of friends and him interact. Soon I managed to assess what role each played. Harry was the popular talented member of the group, Hermione was the brains that much was obvious, but she was also trustworthy and loyal, her and the red haired boy Ron shared little in common but seemed to cancel each other's negative qualities out which made them a perfect match. Ron was a loyal friend but under that you could see that he was ever so slightly jealous of Harry and Hermione, but he seemed to hold them together, without him I doubted that they would be a close as they were. There was a red haired girl too that I saw, it became apparent after reading her sent on the others that she was Ron's sister, a year younger than them I noticed from the age of her other friends, she was close but not as close as the trio (as I had started to call them) were, it had also become obvious that she and Harry were involved.

After watching them for a few days I realised that without my sense of smell that I would have never recognised her and Harry's relationship, it was only that I could smell Harry's sent on her more than anyone else's, but after a few days I realise the sent was leaving and being replaced by another, also I never saw her around the trio much, and never around Harry alone, she always seemed to leave before that could happen, she also would sit slightly away from Harry and was getting further away as the days progressed, this confused me but I put it out of my mind, it was none of my business really what was going on in Harry's life no matter how much I wanted it to be.

I was walking around the corridors the day before Halloween, I was taking the long way back from the library trying to avoid as many people as possible, I was bored of being asked out by boys, at least twelve had come up to me that day asking me to the dance, one or two I knew actually already had partners, I could not help knowing the gossip with Parvati and Lavender in my dorm. As I walked I hear a whispered conversation.

"You have to give me answer." A male voice said from a hidden area behind an alcove.

"It's harder than you think Harry and I have been together for over a year, he's my brother's best friend, what am I meant to do just drop him?" Said a girls voice that I recognised as Ginny's, suddenly I was torn, I wanted to listen to the rest of the conversation, I was curious about what was going on, maybe this would explain the distance between Ginny and Harry. On the other hand it was rude and none of my business, but before I could decide Ginny had walked out of the alcove meaning that I had to jump quickly and silently out of sight.

"Ginny wait." It was Dean Thomas who followed her out looking quickly up and down the corridor. "I know it's hard." He said taking her had. "But I love you, and you love me too. I made the mistake of breaking up and loosing you once, don't make me make the same mistake again." Ginny lent forward cupping his cheek.

"I know. I'm sorry, I'll tell him tonight I promise." She pecked him on the lips. "I love you." She said quickly before she walked away down the corridor. Dean smiled and walked in the opposite direction that Ginny went.

So that was what was going on! I thought as I stood behind the statue. Poor Harry, he deserved a lot better than her, he would be heartbroken, wouldn't he? I thought about Harry, he never seemed intently interested in Ginny, there was only an inkling on love in his eyes when he saw her, and that little bit left was fading. He seemed rather reserved about the dance and sad that he had to go, though that might be more to do with a hatred of dances rather than having to go with Ginny. When he would much rather go with someone else, a small voice added to my thoughts.

"Oh shut up." I muttered to myself. I rarely spoke to myself, but the thought that Harry would still want me after I had almost told him what I was was absurd. I walked back to the common room and straight up to my room, jumped out of the window and ran towards the forest, I needed something to get my mind off things and this seemed to be the best way to do it.

* * *

//Harry//

Rose had not talked to me for the past few weeks even though we still worked together, currently I was sitting in the common room Hermione and Ron were talking in low voices to each other and I really did not want to know what they were saying so I thought about the dance that would be happing tomorrow. I would be going with Ginny, not that I didn't want to I still liked her as a friend, but it seemed a like betrayal as I knew the feelings that I had for Rose and yet I was still with Ginny. Lupin had taken me into his office a few days before and asked me why I still hadn't talked to Ginny, it wasn't like I hadn't, it was more like I couldn't I told him. Really I wanted to be truthful to tell Ginny that I didn't live her like I used to, that there was someone else, but I couldn't. I tried to get her on her own but whenever I did she told me to talk to her later and there was somewhere she needed to be before walking away. She wouldn't let me be alone with her and it was starting to bother me.

Over the past few days it had bothered me so much that I had even confided in Hermione about it asking for her advice, she seemed sympathetic and told me that I needed to talk to Ginny, and then she said something about Ginny probably wouldn't be as hurt as I thought she would be when I told her about my feelings for Rose. I don't know why she had said that but there was something in her tone that told me that I was going to find out what she meant soon. This was confusing we had been going out for a year, we had been happy, and in a matter of weeks it had come down crashing and burning around me.

Just as my thoughts had landed on this the portrait swung open and in came Ginny. I stood up as she walked over gulping, was I really about to do this? The night before the Halloween ball, would she ever forgive me? I hoped so, but I didn't see how...

* * *

//Ginny//

I left Dean and walked quickly to the common room, I would have to do this now before I lost the nerve. I muttered the password psyching myself up for what I was about to do, was going to tell Harry that I was in love with Dean, that I was sorry for hurting him, for leading him on, and for breaking up with him just before the Halloween ball. Oh God now this didn't seem like such a good idea... I walked into the common room praying that he wasn't there so I didn't have to do this now, but I knew that I would have to at some point. The God's had not answered my prayer I noticed as I saw Harry stand up, my feet moved towards him, was I really about to do this? The night before the Halloween ball, would he ever forgive me? I hoped so, but I didn't see how...

"Ginny we need to – " Harry started to say but in my haste to get this out and over with before I lost all the courage to do so I never head what he was saying and just cut him off mid sentence.

"Harry we need to talk." I breathed.

"O-okay." He stammered looking just as nervous and worried as I felt, he walked up the stairs slightly stiffly, did he know what was coming? I wondered as I followed, every step I took the burden I carried on my shoulders was getting heavier the knots in my stomach twisted painfully. Oh God here we go.

"Harry I love Dean."

* * *

//Harry//

I can't say I wasn't shocked because I was.

"D-D-_Dean_?" I managed to get out, trying to process the information in my head.

"Yes Harry, I'm so sorry." Ginny said pleadingly.

"How?" I said sitting on my bed still shocked.

"When he broke up with me I never really go over him, when I started going out with you I really did like you, and I started to love you, but in the back of my mind there was always Dean, I thought it was just because he was my first, but then he came to me a few days into the term, he told me he had made a terrible mistake, and that he loved me and he should have never let me go." Ginny explained quickly, she seemed to have wanted to tell me this for a while so I sat there still shocked listening to her story. "I was going to tell you that he said this but something stopped me, I thought that I still loved you and I didn't want to hurt you. I never acted upon it until just before the Quidditch match, Dean came up to me apologising for telling me his feelings, said that he should have just kept them to himself, and that he wanted us to be happy. I have no idea what came over me but I kissed him and all the feelings that I had felt for him came flooding back and I realised that I loved you, but more as a friend, not like the way I felt for him."

She paused staring at me for a few moments, I nodded signalling for her to continue. "I felt so guilty but I didn't know what to do so I distanced myself from you hoping that would give me some time to figure out how I felt, all that that achieved was me falling for Dean more. Harry I'm so sorry." She said grabbing my hand and holding it comfortingly. "I was going to do this sooner but I just kept losing my nerve and putting it off."

I nodded gulping, I looked up into Ginny's eyes, they were brimming with tears, she really had never meant to hurt me. "Please forgive me; I still want to be your friend. Please."

As she said this I realised that I felt no anger towards her, I wasn't even all that sad that she was breaking up with me, I was _happy _for her. That's strange, I thought I would have felt just a little bit of anger towards her, but how could I, I loved Rose, and though noting had happed between us, not that I really thought anything would, it was still kind of cheating wasn't it pretending that I still liked Ginny.

"Ginny, I have something to tell you." She looked into my eyes, hers still filled with tears and nodded allowing me to continue. "I like someone else too." Ginny looked shocked.

"Who?" She asked her voice breaking.

"Rose, I love Rose." Ginny sat down next to me on the bed still holding my hand.

* * *

//Ginny//

"Right." I said looking at harry confused. "The new girl?" Harry nodded. "The pretty brunette that every boy in the castle seems to adore?"

"Yes." Harry said, he seemed to tense up a bit as he said it.

I was silent for a few minutes before laughing, I broke down and collapsed on the bed next to Harry laughing, he looked at me as if I was mad.

"Ginny you okay?" He asked worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine sorry." I said finally calming down and sitting up facing him.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked confused.

"It's just, we make such a pair." He looked even more shocked than he had done before. "Both of us have fallen for someone else, and both of us break up with each other the day before the Halloween ball." I shook my head, funny isn't it?"

"Erm... I guess."

I had calmed down enough after my relief of realisation that I might not have hurt Harry after all, I realised that I was happy for him, I was slightly put out that he had fallen for someone whilst with me, but you really can't choose who you fall for can you.

"So how did it happen?" I wanted to know just out of interest.

"When she came walking through the doors of the great hall on the day of the feast I felt weird, like I was drawn to her, then I remembered your hand and I decided that it was just attraction." He blushed slightly but continued. "And then we started spending more time together, I got to know her, as a friend." He added quickly. "It was only recently that I realised how I really felt, after the party celebrating out first win of the season, she said that she didn't want to be friends anymore, the next day I realised just how much that hurt me."

"So what are you going to do now, have you two made up?" I hadn't noticed Harry for a while because I had been trying to stay away from him but now looking at him for the first time in days I saw that he was a little paler than usual.

"No, I haven't talked to her about it, I have wanted to but she had been avoiding me, as have you. I smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry about that but I was worried about hurting you." He smiled back.

"Me too." He paused before breaking out into a grin. "What a pair we are."

I laughed slightly. "Freinds?"

"Always." We smiled at each other for a few more moments. "You going to the dance with Dean then?"

"If that's okay."

"Of course it is." He said waving his hand. "I don't think I will be going."

"Why not?"

"No date." He said simply shrugging.

"Why don't you ask Rose, I don't think she's going with anyone." From what I had heard she had turned every guy down that had asked her.

"I can't do that, we haven't talked to each other for weeks, what will I say, 'Hi Rose I know we aren't speaking but will you go to the ball with me you know for some awkward quietness that we can sit in till the night is over.' Yeah because that sounds like a lovely way to spend the evening." He joked.

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you liked her?"

"I do, but I don't think that she likes me, she was the one that stopped speaking to me and I think it was because we were too close, she seemed to freak out about that."

"What were you doing?"

Harry blushed. "I kinda grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving because I wanted to talk to her, and then I stood up and we were inches away." He looked down at the bed playing with a loose string from his jumper.

"You thought that was a good idea?" Harry really was clueless when it came to girls, once he was dating them it was fine, it was just the getting them that he sucked at, he thought that it would be a good idea to kiss me in the middle of the common room after winning the Quidditch cup in front of everyone, it was romantic I guess but it did come out of nowhere.

"I had a little bit too much to drink." He defended pouting slightly.

"Harry my advice, go to the ball alone, and" I said cutting across him as he opened his mouth to protest. "And talk to her, you're bound to see her there." Harry pondered this for a while before nodding.

"Okay, I'll go."

"Good." We smiled at each other for a bit. "Harry you know no matter what happens with Rose you are a lovely guy, one that any girl will want?"

"Except you?" He asked jokingly raising his eye brows.

"Yes, but that's because I am totally mental." We laughed. "But seriously, I think a part of me will always belong to you." I took his hand. "And I love you, but more like family if that's not too odd."

"I understand, I feel the same way about you." We smiled at each other again our gazes full of understanding.

"I better go tell Dean now."

"Yeah." I got up and started to walk towards the door. "Oh wait Ginny." I turned to look back at Harry. "What are we going to tell everyone? People will be asking about what happened, shall we say it was a joint decision?"

"That sounds best, oh dear, what is going to happen to the big Quidditch star when all his fan girls find out that he is single?" I joked wickedly itching to go downstairs and pronounce Harry was single to the 5th year girls who all swooned every time he walked into a room.

"You wouldn't." He said as if reading my mind.

"Maybe..." I let it hang in the air for a second before racing towards the door, Harry who was a lot quicker inches behind me. we made it down the first flight of stairs before bumping into something hard and squashy that fell back as we hit it.

"Huh..." Said the hard squashy thing that Harry and I had landed on as we ran into it.

"Dean!" Harry said shocked. "Sorry, let me help you up." Harry pushed himself up off the ground lending me a hand so as to pull myself up off the ground, Dean took Harry's hand tentatively looking at me as if to ask if it was safe. "You okay?"

"Yeah, you?" Dean asked brushing himself off.

"Yeah I'm good thanks, Gin where do you think you're going?"

I turned and looked at him. "I just thought that Jessie Jacobs would like to know that's all."

"You are not going to tell anyone, you will let them find out on their own!" Harry said mock glaring at me, I retuned the glare just as mockingly.

"What's going on?" Dean asked looking between us confused.

"Harry does not want me to tell him little fan club friends about his new single status." Dean looked back at Harry quickly.

"You told him?" He asked talking a step back from Harry looking worried as if he was ready to be pummelled into the ground. "I'm really sorry, I made a mistake, I shouldn't have let her go, I didn't think that she still felt for me but I had to give it a try didn't I, I never meant to break you two up!"

Harry looked at Dean, trying not to laugh. "Dean, there's no need to apologise Ginny told me everything it's fine, no hard feelings." Harry held out his hand, Dean shook it looking relived.

"Thanks Harry." Dean smiled at him and Harry smiled back, never in a million years would I have thought that this was possible but he understood my feelings for Dean and I understood his for Rose's it was as if we had never been anything more than friends.

"No need to thank him." I laughed walking over to Dean as he dropped Harry's hand. "Harry's got feelings for someone else and he was going to dump me anyway weren't you." I added mock glaring at Harry again teasing him slightly.

"Really, who?" Dean asked shocked.

"None of your business." Harry said embarrassed.

"Who?" Dean turned to ask me.

"You will have to wait till tomorrow to find out." I added cheekily. "Come one lets go hang out with Ron and Hermione, might as well let them know."

We headed downstairs and after explaining everything to Ron who seemed livid at Dean and me everything quietened down, for us anyway, for Harry it seemed to be getting worse, most of the girls were looking at him and giggling they all knew that he was single now after Ron's outburst and it seemed that few would pass up the opportunity of taking Harry Potter to the Halloween ball.

"Be careful what you eat and drink Harry." Hermione whispered to him as he left the common room to go to bed. "I wouldn't put it past one of them to slip you something." She hugged him good night and left. I took one last look round the common room trying to see her in the dying light of the fire but I couldn't, I hadn't seen her all day, something bothered me about Rose I couldn't put my finger on it, I just hoped that Harry wasn't making a mistake, and with that last thought I went to bed glad that Harry and me were still friends, I don't know what my life would be like without him he was irreplaceable, I wanted so much to love him but I couldn't, but somehow the fates had given me even more than I had asked for, he was my friend and nothing that happened would replace that, I went to sleep with a smile on my face knowing that something was going to go right for once in our lives and that changes that were made this year would last for eternity.

* * *


	8. The dance

Hope you like this chapter the next few will be uploaded slower as have to fin time between work to contiune posting them.

* * *

//Harry//

I wandered upstairs to the common room, the noise from the dance was fading behind me everyone in 3rd year and above was there it seemed except the one girl that I had wanted to see there, Rose. I had gone down with Ginny and the others as I promised, it was quite fun but I had become bored quickly of the constant stream of girls that I had asking me to dance after they had heard of mine and Ginny's break up. The dance looked wonderful the decorations better than ever, the food as good as always and the band was also good, Parvati had been right it was a muggle band but the students seemed to enjoy it, even the pureblood ones from Slytherin who disliked most muggle things.

I sat down in the common room and sighed. I thought that I was alone there sitting in front of the fire watching as it slowly burnt down to cinders, the 1st and 2nd years had all gone to bed it was quite late already. There was a small movement from behind me startling me out of my transfixed gaze upon the fire, I whipped round looking at where the noise had come from.

"Rose?" I asked in the half cast light given off by the fire I could barely see who it was, but I thought that I had guessed right as the figure stopped. "Why aren't you down at the dance?" I knew she wasn't there but I didn't understand why, even Hermione was excited about dances.

"There was no reason to go." She said stiffly, the moonlight fell through the window and hit her face making it looked even more ghostly beautiful that usual.

"Why did no one ask you?" This confused me, I was sure there were many guys that would have liked to go with her, so why she hadn't been asked confused me.

"No, I didn't accept." She said turning to me face impassive.

"Oh." I asked. "Don't you like dances?" I must have sounded like a idiot but this was the longest conversation that we had had in a while and I wanted it t last as long as possible.

"No, it's not that, I didn't want to go with anyone that asked me."

"Oh." I paused again trying to think of something to say, Rose started to move towards the staircase up to the dormitories. "You want to join me?" I asked pointing to the empty seats around me.

She stooped and looked at them looking slightly worried. "No, I should be getting to bed." She took a few more steps.

"Rose." I called out, she stooped again turning and looked at me exasperated. "Tell me the truth why don't you want to be friends?"

"I told you it's not safe for you or me."

"Why?" I pressed.

"Because I may hurt you, don't you listen!" She said frustrated.

"Lupin doesn't think that you will."

Rose looked directly at me eyes wide with shock and fear. "He told you what I was?" Her voice shook as she asked me.

"No, I asked but he wouldn't."

She relaxed slightly. "Good."

"But I don't care what you are, If Lupin doesn't think that you will hurt me then I don't think that you will either."

Rose half laughed. "I still could, what the Professor says is not set in stone, nothing is I could still kill you."

"That's a chance I'm will to take." I said defiantly. I needed her to understand that I would risk everything for her, everything to be with her, even if she would never love me like I did her.

"So you would risk everything?" She asked confused. "Even your own safety, why?"

"Because...Because..." I tried to think of something to say, so I decided that the truth was the best way to go. "Because I have never felt so close, so whole with anyone as I do with you." And it was true, not even Ron, Hermione or Ginny made me feel so complete as I did now talking to Rose.

She breathed deeply and for a second I thought that she was going to leave, but she turned fully and walked towards where I was standing. "Okay, but remember I am dangerous and it would be best if you left me alone, if we were not so close." She said as she came to stand directly in front of me inches apart.

"I don't care." I said quietly, barely above a whisper.

"So be it." She looked up at me gulping slightly looking straight into my eyes and in whisper she spoke. "I don't think that I have the strength to stay away from you no more."

Something inside of me fluttered at those words it was as if she needed me, something that I never thought was possible, and before I knew it the words spilled out of me like they had done in 4th year asking Cho Chang to the dance. "Whillyougototheballwithme?"

She looked at me confused. "What?"

I took a deep breath steadying myself. "Do you want to go to the ball with me." She raised her eye brows at me and I blushed. "Shame to miss it really last time to go to a Halloween ball." I tried to grin in the way that had me on the front cover of witch weekly's greatest smile award.

"I don't have anything to wear." She said still looking confused.

That was good, that was not a no! "Don't worry about it then, I'll see you tomorrow." I started to move to sit back down again.

"How about if I transfigure something." I looked round mouth hanging open, was that a _yes_?! "I'll meet you downstairs okay."

I nodded mouth hanging open as she walked upstairs to get ready. My feet took me to the entrance hall, I was still shocked that she had said yes, I didn't know why she had agreed but I was glad that she had. I waited down stairs for her, it wasn't long before I saw her at the top of the marble stair case and my, what a sight she was...

* * *

//Rose//

Why had I agreed! I wondered as I was up in my dorm looking though my clothes for something easy to change into a suitable dress, why couldn't I say away from him! But it was so hard to resist when he was so open and seemed to need me like I needed him, it was as if we were drawn together but unseen forces. But that was absurd, I thought as I placed a dress on my bed and imaging the dress that I wanted I pointed my wand, a few seconds later I opened my eyes and there it was a light blue simple floor length dress, it went out slightly from the waist downwards, the top half was strapless and fit me perfectly. I was getting pretty good at transfiguring things I noted as I pulled on the dress. Now for the shoes. I picked up my black heels and placing them too on the bed and thinking about the shoes that I wanted in the same lightly blue of my dress I pointed my wand at them too. I opened my eyes, there was a perfect pair of 6ich stiletto heels with an open toe in the same light blue. I pulled them one and checked myself over once. Pointing at my hair once with my wand it moved to create a loose bun on the back of my head held together with a number of clips with a few odd strands falling in gentle curls. Now I was ready to attend the first proper ball that I had been to since I was in my first life.

It took me no time to get down to the entrance hall as the halls were empty, I slowed down as I walked towards the marble staircase, if my hear could hammer it would have been, the music was loud and everyone in the great hall seemed to be enjoying themselves, I took a deep breath, I could smell Harry already from there, here goes nothing, would he liked me, I didn't know, I just hoped that he would, I had never been more worried in my existence than I was then.

I started to descend the marble stair case, I looked at Harry as I walked down, his mouth was slightly open, I took this a good sign.

* * *

//Harry//

Rose descended the stair case, she was wearing a light blue floor length dress, her heels clipped slightly as she walked down her eyes fixed on me. The light blue of her dress seemed to shimmer against her skin, her hair framed her face making her eyes seemly shine out from her face, she was so beautiful, the best I had ever seen her before, it was as if she was a veela who was using her powers to draw me to her.

"Hey." Her voice floated over into my mind I was weak at the knees, I wondered how much longer I could stand being blown over by her.

"Hey." I managed to choke out after closing my mouth which I hadn't even noticed had fallen open.

"What?" Rose looked confused at me before looking down at her dress. "Did something go wrong with the transfiguration?"

I gulped as she turned around, her prefect skin exposed on her back. "No, no its fine, better than fine." I managed to say as she turned back towards me.

"You sure?" She asked seeming worried.

"Yep, your...it's....perfect." I gulped again.

"You okay?" she asked looking at me slightly amused.

"Yeah, fine." I nodded.

"Right. Shall we go inside?" She pointed towards the great hall doors.

"Yeah." She started to walk forwards to the door as she did I reached out my hand and took hers. She turned and looked down at our hands wearily. "You want me to let go?" I asked disappointed, so she just wanted to be friends.

"No, it's fine, do you mind?"

"Do I mind what?" Do I mind holding her hand no! I wanted to be as close to her as possible.

"The temperature." She said reverting her gaze back down to our hands.

"Oh." I said stupidly looking down too, now I noticed that her hand was cold lower than the temperature of a normal person I was so concentrated on what it felt like to actually be allowed to touch her that I hadn't even noticed the cold feel of her skin. "No, why is mine too warm?"

"No, it feels, nice." She said quietly still looking at our hands refusing to meet my questioning gaze.

Rose took a few steps forward towards the doors of the hall, I followed pushing the door open for her, as I entered the sound of the music and the students hit me, everyone was smiling and having fun, those nearest to the door sitting on the tables turned to the sound of the door opening, and their gazes didn't fall, some of them were staring with their mouths open like mine had been when I saw Rose descend the stairs.

"I think I'm going to need a drink for this." I noted as some of the girls in the crowd started to group together and mutter to each other in low voices. I dragged Rose over to the table lined with drinks and picked up a glass and handed her one too. "Do you want to find somewhere to sit?" She nodded sipping her drink as I, still holding her hand, led her over to the table that I was sitting on earlier; the others were not there so we sat down and started talking. "This is going to give the press a field day, not to mention the gossip here."

"Do you really care what they think?" Rose asked starting directly at me, she as no longer holding my hand, and they were laying near each other on the table, I was itching to close the distance but took another sip of my drink to stop doing so.

"No I don't care, I'm more worried what they might say about you."

"What might they say about me?"

"That you are going out with me and that you stole me away from my beloved girlfriend." I joked smiling at her.

She raised her eyebrows smiling slightly. "Or they could say that I'm the innocent rebound girl that is going to get her heart broken once you get over your girlfriend."

I smiled. "Yeah, but in both cases they are suggesting that we are dating."

"So let them say it." This caught me off guard, as I stared back at her I saw her eyes glinting slightly. "Only if you don't mind that they think we are dating that is."

"So we're dating?" I asked trying to make sure that this is what she was saying.

"Yeah." She smiled back at me as I broke into a grin, how on earth had I managed to get this girl who was out of this world but seemed to want me like I wanted her, it was more than just physical attraction, much more.

I finished my drink and it was near the end of the dance now we had been talking for a while, no one had bothered us but I couldn't work out why. I saw Draco Malfoy glaring at me from a table on the other side of the room. "I hear Malfoy hit on you." I tried to say this off handily but I didn't think I had achieved doing so as I saw Roses lip twitch a bit.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just wondered why you rejected him, plenty of girls would love to have him hit on them so I'm told."

Rose leant in and I followed. "Promise to keep a secret?" She asked in a low voice, I nodded slightly distracted by our closeness. "Many more girls would choose you over him." she winked and leant back. "and anyway he kind of smells." She grinned as I started to laugh.

"How could you know that?" I said after I finished laughing.

"Let's just say I have a good sense of smell shall we." I smiled back as she smiled at me. "But make sure it doesn't go to your head, I think you have got enough ego fuel to last you a life time." I laughed again.

"Hey Harry, Rose." Said a girls voice from behind me, I turned and saw Hermione standing there.

"Hello." Rose said smiling at Hermione as she took the seat next to me.

"So Harry finally asked you out then?" Oh God she was playing the annoying, sister that was digging a hole for me with a digger, this was going to be embarrassing.

"Finally?" Rose said amused, she had obviously picked up on Hermione's teasing of me. "So he was planning on saying inaudible words to me and then having to repeat them again so that I could understand him for a while then. Good plan." She whispered to me under her breath, slightly mocking, I just grumbled something under my breath that had Hermione looking confused and Rose looking amused. Then I was saved from the teasing of the girls by a red haired boy who came over and took Hermione's hand and dragged her out on to the dance floor.

"Their good together aren't they." Rose said watching Ron and Hermione as they joined the dancing crowd as a slow song came on.

"Yeah." I said distracted watching Rose instead of the dancing mass.

"What?" She asked turning towards me.

"Do you want to dance?" Once again the words were out before I could stop them, but luckily this time they were able to make some sense on the first go.

"Erm..." She said eyeing the people who were dancing.

"Come with me." I said taking her hand knowing what she was afraid of. I took her slightly surprised out of the hall and into the grounds where you could still hear the music flowing from the hall, I put my hand in hers and then another on her waist, she did the same to me and we started to do a simple box step, which is about all I could do, she was so graceful I felt bad for trying to lead. "Sorry I muttered." As I nearly stepped on her foot, but she seemed to see this coming and moved her foot so quickly that I couldn't believe that it had actually moved.

"See no harm done. You're not that bad." She commented as we continued to dance.

"Really?" I asked not believing her.

"You just need to loosen up that's all, you're so tense."

"How could I not be when I able to be so close to you?" I asked without thinking, and it was true I was so close that I could feel her pressed against me, all that I wanted to do was never let go of her, to kiss her then and there, but I had to try and control myself I still didn't know if she wanted me to.

"You are not the one you should worry about losing control." She said looking up at me before leaning her head on my shoulder and pressing her nose into the crook of my neck and inhaling deeply. We stayed that way dancing for the rest of the dance just enjoying the company of each other.

* * *

//Rose//

It was heaven, I was there holding on to Harry as he spun me around and around in circles slowly changing direction every now and then so as not to get too dizzy, he wasn't a bad dancer, a little uncoordinated but that was to be expected, he was only human after all. I leant my head into his neck breathing deep, his smell was intoxicating, it made all my senses tingle, I could hear the blood flowing though his neck, his pulse beating in time with the heart in his chest, so open, so inviting, but oddly easy to resist. Something had changed between us, we had moved past the friends stage and into territory that I had never experienced before, this was new, I had never wanted something more and it was no longer his blood that I wanted, it was him and it would all be him, just him, no one else could replace him.

I smiled into his neck remembering this moment for ever as it would stay with me for as long as I lived. As long as I lived. My smiled slipped. How long was I going to live? How long was Harry going to live? There would come a time when we would have to part for good he did not have the life span of my kind did I have the strength to carry on past this time of parting or would I have to be selfish and take him into my world so as to be happy.

These thoughts troubled me all the way up to the dorm where we parted ways once the dance had left, I went to be all my dorm mates had crashed down on their beds tired out from the dance, Lavender was still wearing her dress. I stared out of the window before deciding that it was too much, I couldn't stay away from him it pained me to do so, all last week I felt like I was dying from the inside. I crept to the window and pushed it open, crawling out on to the balcony I gapped onto the stone wall holding myself to it and quietly I made my way over to the boy's dormitory window, I stayed in the shadows watching as they all fell to sleep snoring loudly, I entered the dorm room and crept over to Harry's bed slipping in between the hangings. He was soundly sleeping a smiled playing on his lips as he did, how much I wished that he was dreaming about me. I placed myself on the end of his bed and watched as he slept, every twitch, every grunt, ever snore, it may not sound appealing but my was it entrancing. I didn't think about what was to come, what the passing years would bring, I just watched his sent consuming me from all sides.

As the sun rose in the sky I passed out of the room and back into mine firmly set in my mind that no matter what I would be put through I would not deprive this wonderful human of his qualities that made him so special, I would not make him a monster no matter what I had to do in order to keep him as he was, even if I had to leave him to lead a normal life, I would do that because there was nothing that I could refuse this boy, I didn't have the will power to do so, because I loved him unconditionally now and forever I was his.

* * *


	9. First date

* * *

//Rose//

"Hey." A voice sounded from above me, I turned recognising the voice instantly, I marked my place in my book and turned looking up into Harry's green eyes. "You want to join us?" He asked pointing down the table towards Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati. I wasn't too sure that I wanted to go down there, there was enough room for two people to sit down next to each other and I guessed that Harry must have made the room so that I could join them, this thought made me not want to refuse him, but could I really sit there whilst they eat not eating myself without them noticing, I didn't quite like the idea of having to get the food back up later on.

"Sure." I answered still not really too sure. I stood up and started walking towards the space that was made when I felt something warm in my hand, I looked down, Harry had put his hand in mine.

"Oh, sorry, I just thought..." He started to say as his hand started to go limp and pull away, he must of read my surprise as disgust or something, I held onto his hand tighter and lased our fingers together, the image of last night came back to me, the way we danced, his heat rolling off of him in waves, it warmed me through making me feel almost human. Harry smiled and took step with me.

When we made it over the place where the others were sitting I sat down in the seat next to Harry and took a brief look round at the others. Ron was looking slightly surprised as was Dean and Seamus, Parvati looked slightly jealous, Lavender looked surprised and Hermione and Ginny looked satisfied.

"So it was you that Harry was with at the dance last night?" Ron asked amazed.

"Who did you think it was Ron?" Harry asked before I could answer.

"I didn't really pay much attention..." Ron muttered turning red.

"He was a bit far gone by the time he came over and asked me to dance when I was sitting with you." Hermione said and the others laughed.

"He was passed out stone cold by the time I got back." Dean said grinning.

"I hope you didn't get back too much after me." Ron said glaring between Dean and Ginny.

"Oh, you didn't care when it was Harry!" Ginny said glaring at her brothers accusations, this gave me a slight pang in the chest, Ginny who could give Harry everything, love, warmth, a family, was still in his life, what if he realised that he wanted more that what I could give him and he would go back to Ginny.

"Just because I didn't say I did, doesn't mean to say that I didn't." Ron said back to his sister.

"Oh shut it you two, I want to hear more about Harry and Rose." Parvati said turning towards me and Harry. "So how long?"

"How long what?" Harry asked gulping down a mouthful of orange juice.

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" She asked, looking between us. "From last night, since the start of term? When?"

"Last night." Harry answered. "Please no more questions I've had enough of Colin and his camera already." He said pointing his thumb in the direction of Colin who had his camera raised to take another photo. "Colin I swear if you are going to take another photo of me this morning I will curse you and that stupid camera to oblivion." Harry said angrily looking towards Colin who suddenly looked frightened and put his camera away.

I didn't say much during breakfast I watched the others interact giving a few comments here and there, and once Dean and Ron had heard that I had not even watched a game of Quidditch they decided that it would be a good idea to educate me in the supposed art of Quidditch, not that I didn't find it secretly fascinating as I think did Hermione did too as she looked like she was straining her hearing sometimes to listen to them explain the game to me. Lavender and Parvati were giggling to each other looking round the hall and pointing people out, I tried not to listen to them as all of what they were saying was gossip and nothing of real interest. Harry, Seamus, Hermione and Ginny were talking together about going into town later, Harry gave sidelong looks towards me even now and again during these conversations, he seemed to want to ask me something and I think I was right in guessing that he wanted to know if I would like to go to Hogsmeed with him, but I would have to wait and see when we were alone to find out what he really wanted to know, I'm no mind reader, though I would love to be one.

* * *

//Harry//

I woke up the morning with a strange feeling of completeness, Rose and me were going out, I thought hard laying back in my bed, was that a dream that I had cooked up or was it real? I got up and got dressed, I walked down the stairs into the common room that was quite with only a few people milling around.

Click!

Click!

Click!

My eye's danced, I blinked furiously trying to get rid of the spots of white that were imprinted in my vision. Finally I was able to and I realised I was looking into the face of Colin Creevy who was holding a black camera with the lens pointing towards me.

"What Colin?"

"I wanted a picture to go with my interview." He said looking hopeful.

"What interview?" I asked confused.

"This one." He said and before I knew it he was bombarding me with questions. "When did you first meet Rose? How long after that was it that you found that you had feelings for her? Was it before or after your breakup with Ginny Weasley that you decided to act of these feelings? Was it a reason for your breakup? What is your relation..."

"Colin shut up!" I said pushing the camera out of my face as he went to take another picture. I walked out of the common room with Creevy following behind still asking questions and taking pictures every now and again running in front of me to take it.

"Creevy leave me the bloody hell alone!" I said warningly, he fell behind a bit before I heard one more Click from that camera and heard his footsteps trying to catch up with me. I turned round and pointed my wand down the corridor towards Creevy, an invisible barrier erupted in the middle of the corridor stopping Creevy from coming any further towards me, I rounded the corner and pushed on one of the bricks in the wall at the end of the corridor, the wall drew in opening revealing a secret passage way, my barrier was only temporary and as I slipped through the opening in the wall I heard Colin's footsteps running down the corridor that I had just exited. I was relived, I don't know how I would have coped not knowing all the secret passages in the school, they were a good way to get around unwanted fan girl attention who had all seemed to have memorised a copy of my time table and would wait in the corridors of my classes to pester me about something or other, usually quoting the latest article about me asking if things were true.

I made it down to breakfast a little later than I would have usually if I had taken the corridors, just because they are secret doesn't always mean that they are shortcuts.

"Hey." I said greeting the others as I walked over to where they were sitting.

"Hey." They greeted back all looking at me slightly strangely, both Hermione and Ginny had satisfied looks on their faces.

"So good night last night?" Seamus asked smiling up at me.

"Yeah it was." I said noticing that Rose wasn't there, I looked up and down the table searching for her, my eyes fell on long brown shiny straight hair, that must be her. "Excuse me for a bit please." I said walking over to her wondering what I was going to say to her. "Hey." I said once I had reached her, Rose turned around marking her page in the large volume that she was reading. "You want to join us?" I asked pointing up the table, I wouldn't mind sitting down there with her alone without the others but something told me that they wanted answers and wouldn't leave me alone until I gave them.

"Sure." Rose answered in her perfect floating voice. She picked up her bag putting her book away and started to walk to where the others were sitting.

I didn't know what I was doing, I just wanted to be near her, to feel the coolness of her skin that melted me thorough, she seemed startled at this sudden contact and looked down at our hands. "Oh, sorry, I just thought..." I started to say as I pulled my hand away from hers, she wasn't ready for that then, I mentally slapped myself for not letting her make the first move as it was she that was the one that was most worried about our closeness, I had decided to promise myself to go as fast or as slow as she wanted. To my surprise she pulled my hand back and laced our fingers together and continued to walk alone to the place where my friends sat looking slightly surprised, the other occupants of the hall were looking almost the same with slight faces of shock on their faces.

"So it was you that Harry was with at the dance last night?" Ron asked Rose amazed.

"Who did you think it was Ron?" He saw me he must have known that I was with her!

"I didn't really pay much attention..." Ron muttered turning red.

"He was a bit far gone by the time he came over and asked me to dance when I was sitting with you." Hermione said, the others laughed and I grinned slightly.

"He was passed out stone cold by the time I got back." Dean said grinning.

"I hope you didn't get back too much after me." Ron said glaring between Dean and Ginny.

"Oh, you didn't care when it was Harry!" Ginny said glaring at her brothers accusations, I was starting to feel uncomfortable about this conversation now I was sitting there next to Rose with Ginny making references to out just finished relationship, what if she thought that she was just a rebound girl?

"Just because I didn't say I did, doesn't mean to say that I didn't." Ron said back to his sister, Dean was looking uncomfortable too and had started to play with his food.

Luckily Pansy cut the conversation short, well lucky for Dean and Ginny anyway. "Oh shut it you two, I want to hear more about Harry and Rose." Parvati said turning me and Rose grinning like she did when she wanted to get some juicy gossip out of people. "So how long?"

"How long what?" Harry I asked gulping down a mouthful of orange juice trying to act calm and collected.

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" She asked, looking between us pressing us for information. "From last night, since the start of term? When?"

"Last night." I answered looking at her and not at Ron, he may be my best friend and even though Ginny was going out with Dean whilst we were dating I don't think Ron would take the news that I had fallen for someone else whilst still with his sister well. "Please no more questions I've had enough of Colin and his camera already." I said catching the raising of a black lens out of the corner of my eye and pointing towards it. "Colin I swear if you are going to take another photo of me this morning I will curse you and that stupid camera to oblivion." I said letting my temper get the better of me as I turned to see him turn slightly white with fright and put the camera back down.

The rest of breakfast went past with no more questions asked about me and Rose, but I knew it wouldn't be too long before they would start again. Hermione, Seamus and Ginny were talking about taking a walk into Hogsmeed, I looked towards Rose during this conversation wondering if she wanted to come alone with the rest of them or would prefer to go on our own, or even not go at all and sped the day in the grounds or in the castle but I couldn't think of a way to ask her without everyone else over hearing, which I didn't really want to go through in the middle of breakfast with most of the student population looking over at us every few seconds and Colin and his camera still at such a close proximity.

I finished breakfast and looked down at Rose's plate to check that she was done, her plate looked untouched as if no morsel of food had even reached it, that was strange I looked her up and down, she was thin but she didn't look too thin as if she didn't eat, maybe she just didn't like breakfast, '_or maybe she doesn't eat food but feeds off something else..._' a voice inside my head suggested, this idea made me slightly weary, just what did she eat? I decided to put it out of my head but reminded myself to spend some quality time in the library looking up magical creatures and added the feeding off other food sources to my list of characteristics which so far comprised of good sense of smell, graceful, cold touch and beautiful which I couldn't decide if it was natural or just part of what she was.

I stood up, hoping that she would take this a sign to leave as well, she seemed to feel my movements and turned to look up at me.

"I'm going to get my stuff for Hogsmeed." I said looking at the others and then down at her, she stoop up too, excused herself and walked with me out of the hall, I took her hand again and walked out the great hall doors into the entrance hall.

"One...two...three." Counted as we walked towards the marble steps, she looked at me confused as I pointed up at the ceiling at the same moment that talking erupted from the hall, excited chattering. She raised her eyebrows at me. "Didn't you notice that it was oddly quite in there?" I asked smiling at her.

"Yeah I did, not as harsh on my ears as usual." She said as we walked up the stairs.

"You have sensitive hearing too?" I asked looking down at her as she looked forwards down the corridor.

"Yep."She said smiling again.

"So you can hear what, everything?"

"Not everything." She said playing with my question tantalising. "But I could hear everything that you were saying at meal times for the whole term."

"So you can't hear through silencing charms or what is going on in other peoples dorms then?" I asked feeling slightly warm because of embarrassment.

"I don't know about silencing charms but I guess I could hear into other dorms as long as they are in Gryffindor tower." She said seeming slightly confused by the question. "Why?"

"Oh no reason." I said as we walked along the corridor and up another flight of stairs, I don't think that she really believed me that there was no reason to my question as I felt myself blushing slightly, but if she did know why I was embarrassed she never let on.

We reached Gryffindor tower and I said the password holding the portrait door open for her, she passed through and I caught a smell of her in my nostrils, not totally romantic or anything but the smell was intoxicating, sweet, it reminded me of chocolate, it made my keens go weak. I walked up to my dorm Rose followed behind me, crossed the room and sat down on my bed without a word, I looked at her questionably.

"How did you know that was my bed? Or did you just sit down any anyone you wanted?" I asked.

"I knew." She smirked.

"How?" I asked wondering if she had ever came up here before.

"If I told you, then I would have to kill you." She joked smirking, I laughed and opened the trunk at the bottom of my bed and took out my money purse and stood up. "You don't mind going to town with all of us do you?" I asked, hoping that she would rather want to go with just me.

"No, it's fine, only if you want to go that is."

Oh great she turned the question back on to me, I smiled to myself. "I would rather go with you, like on a date, a proper one."

"So last night doesn't count?" She smirked at me again.

I thought wondering if my answer would offend her, I decided that it wouldn't. "Yes it did, but, if you would allow me, I would like to have some time alone with you, to get to know you."

"You do realise that the more time you spend alone with me, the more likely that it is that you may not return?" She asked seriously.

My skin chilled, it was strange I believed her words were true but I didn't care, I was slightly apprehensive but nothing could detract me from the longing I had to spend time with her, it seemed even within a few days of knowing her she had become a major part in my life, and that's what scared me most of all.

"Yes." I nodded. "But it is sill probable that I won't." She stared hard back at me her golden eyes staring into mine unreadable, it was as if she was trying to see right through me.

"You place so little value in your life that you will trade it so easily?" Her words floated, they were curious and wondering, that was all that I could tell from them.

"No, but I would rather that I know that I had at least the courage to be with the one that I want to be with, even if it does mean danger for me." The words sounded somewhat poetic, but I meant every one of them. Rose stared hard back at me as if still trying to read me, but after a few moments she smiled.

"As you wish." She got up and walked towards the door of the dorm before turning and speaking to me again. "I'll get my stuff, I'll meet you in the common room in about 5 minutes." I nodded. "Remember you can decide to leave at anytime, it's your choice."

I smiled and shrugged. "I know."

Rose nodded, turned and walked away moments before Ron, Dean and Seamus entered the dorm.

"You ready?" Ron asked as he picked up his cloak and put it on.

"About that" I said awkwardly running my hand through my hair. "I think Rose and I are going to go into town on our own you know."

"Of course." Ron said shrugging. "Should have realised that you might have wanted to." I smiled at him, thankfully. "See you later, if you want to meet up just send us a message okay." Ron said as he walked out of the dorm with Seamus behind him. Dean lagged behind for a moment.

"So she is why you and Ginny ended on such good terms then." He asked with his head on the side looking at me.

"In a way yeah." I said trying not to grin.

"I'm really sorry you know, I should have come to you before." Dean said hanging his head.

I waved a hand. "Don't worry its fine, she seems a lot happier with you than she was with me." And Ginny did, she was much more open and she was always smiling.

"Yeah we are. Well have fun." He walked towards the door, but just before he reached the door he turned again. "Just one more question." I nodded and allowed him to continue. "No offence but how the hell did you land a girl like Rose, I mean she's beautiful everyone's noticed that, and it's not like your no prince charming but still she's like the kind of girl that most can only dream about."

I laughed, it was true I couldn't even believe it myself. "I have no idea Dean."

He smiled back. "Just keep doing what you are doing and noting can go wrong."

"Thanks for the encouragement." I called after him as he walked out of the dorm.

A few minutes later I was walking along the trail towards Hogsmeed hand in hand with Rose.

"Is your hand cold?" She asked as we entered into the town.

"Not really." I said, it was a little chilly slightly but her touch made up for that. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't mind, I haven't been here before." She said looking around at the town.

"How about in here, it's quiet and does really nice coffee." I said as I walked towards the Coffee shop and held the door open for her. We entered sat down and ordered two Coffees.

"So tell me about your family, you know a bit about mine." She said as she stirred her coffee round and round without the slightest indication that she was going to drink it.

"Well, my parents died when I was a baby from a magical disease that they couldn't cure so I was brought up by my godfather Sirius Black and my parents other high school friend who's professor Lupin."

"Of course." She said still stirring the coffee.

"Don't you like the coffee?" I asked.

"Erm, no it smells lovely." She said looking at me over the table. "It's just that I'm err... on a special diet, that's all." Her lips pulled up in a secret smile.

"So that's why you don't eat at breakfast?"

Roses head snapped up mouth slightly open. "You noticed?"

"Yeah." I said, then seeing the flash of panic in Roses eyes I continued. "But I don't think anyone else has noticed." She relaxed and after that we started chatting about my childhood, she asked most of the questions about my life and I answered telling her things that Hermione and Ron didn't know, I thought she might have become bored after a while but she seemed to be fascinated with the way I had grown up so I complied by answering her questions truthfully. We spent much of the day wondering around the shops and looking at the different items in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes that had taken over the old joke shop that was in town. That night when I said goodnight to her before going to bed I think that there really was something special about that girl, more so I had before.

* * *


	10. The truth

* * *

//Rose//

I can't believe that Harry and I have been officially going out for one month and 12 days! I know I sound like one of those stupid fan girls that follow him about but still, it's amazing! Harry is so sweet, so kind. I've gotten to know his friends as well, Hermione I like the best, she is like me in many ways both academically and when we are just sitting round chatting, she doesn't listen to any of the gossip going round in the slightest, it's comforting to know that I now have friends, it makes me feel all more human. There's only one part of Harry's and mine's relationship that is bothering me, I'm not human. Already throughout the month that we have been together I have had to take at least 5 'sick' days which I spent up in the hospital wing hearing Harry coming up between lesions to try and see me to find out what was wrong, it pained me to know that he wasn't allowed to see me as I was, as who I really am in the sunlight. I want to tell him who I am, and I have come so close to on many occasions but I can't bring myself to, what would he think of me if he know what I truly was?

* * *

//Harry//

Rose and I have become really close, there is no one that I would rather spend time with, I am able to just sit there in front of the fire for hours just holding her, I feel complete with her, happy for every second that I spend near her, but under all of this I still worry, I have no idea exactly what she is, she never eats, she always is beautiful be it first thing in the morning or last thing at night, she moves with gracefulness like no one I've ever seen before and she has lighting reflexes which I have seen when Ron drooped his ink bottle on the floor and Rose had caught it before it had barely left the table. I have crossed referenced the characteristics against all the magical creatures that I have heard of and have come up with three ideas, one which is highly unlikely as been as she is not transparent or able to walk through walls is that she is a ghost, Hermione still tells me that it is likely as it is possible for ghosts to take a human form if they want to but I have little faith in this idea. secondly Rose is a Veela and though they eat, they do tend to eat raw meat which means that she would not eat in front of all those in the great hall explaining that lack of eating, or finally she is a vampire, but as she is not a cold blooded murder it seems unlikely that she is one, even though all the characteristics fit, even about her not liking Professor Lupin as he is a werewolf.

My head is spinning with the endless possibilities but I'm not going to let them get to me, today I have a very special day planned for me and Rose, I am going to take her flying. I was going to do this last weekend as a sort of month anniversary thing but she became ill and had to retreat to the hospital wing that day so I could not take her, but today I will. I only have one broom, mine, so we will have to ride together, but I don't think I would have it another way, I mean what if she fell off and hurt herself, I would never forgive myself, though she seems rather indestructible at times.

"Rose, you coming?" I call up the girls staircase as I wait for her in the near empty common room.

"Yeah, coming." Rose say's as she walks down the stairs, she is wearing a pair of jeans, black snow boots and a thin black coat which I think is only for show because though there is 3 feet of snow on the grounds Rose has about the same body temperature as outside. "So what have you got planned?"

"Just you wait and see." I say taking her hand and dragging her down to the grounds, we walk in silence over the to the Quidditch pitch.

"So this is what we will be doing, me watching you play Quidditch?" Rose asked raising an eyebrow at me.

"Nope, just wait here." I left Rose standing there by the side of the pitch as I walked over to the Gryffindor changing rooms where I opened my locker and took out my firebolt, grinning as I came back Rose looked up.

"So just what are we going to be doing?" She asked eyeing me suspiciously.

"We are going flying." Rose stared blankly back at me, I couldn't tell if she was excited or scared, I didn't know if she was going to refuse to go on a broom. After a few agonising moments she opened her mouth to answer.

"Okay."

* * *

//Rose//

This is so strange, so what if I'm not the right person to say that but still I'm sitting on a broom with Harry behind me who has his arms holding the broom in front of me, my hands are holding on too slightly below his, first of all I thought this was going to really awkward sitting on a broom that is only really made for one person, but no it's like heaven, I can feel his breath on the back of my neck, and his warmth that is seeping from him is so calming that I can almost forget where I am.

"Three, two, one..." Harry said into my ear just as he kicked off from the ground, we went upwards so fast I was amazed at the speed that this thing could go. The wind was in my face but it was welcoming, as we rose higher and higher, Harry steering us as we flew, pretty soon you could see the whole of Hogwarts and Hogsmeed below.

"Harry, this is amazing!" I said as we hovered in the air above the vast expanse of Hogwarts grounds.

"Yeah I know." He said, I could feel the grin in his voice and smiled too.

I don't know how long exactly we spent flying in the air swooping this way and that, Harry steered us so that we flew inches above the lake, this was slower than the speed that I could do but it was far more enjoyable I decided as we flew over the forbidden forest. Just as I started to relax and Harry let me take over the steering the clouds that were supposed to stay covering had started to move away and break up, quickly and without thinking of anything else but needing to get out of the sunlight as quickly as possible I did a nose dive towards the forest floor.

"Rose!" Harry shouted as we were falling towards the ground.

I pulled up just before we hit the ground of a darkened clearing, I jumped off the broom and pulled it and Harry under a tree so as to escape the light that was appearing on the other side from the breaks in the clouds.

"Rose what the hell was that for?" Harry asked, running his hands through his hair breathing hard. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry." I said meaning it. "I just had to get down, something wasn't right."

Harry looked at me shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry, I was just a bit scared for you that's all, but that was a bloody good nose dive where did you learn that from?" Harry grinned.

"I guess I just picked it up from the best." I said grinning back, and then pulled him further into the shadows of the trees with me as the sunlight broke into the clearing again.

Harry was breathing hard still slightly shaken from my dive, my hands were on his chest his were around my waist, I looked up to see if he was okay, and then a moment later his lips were on mine and he was kissing me. A sudden growl inside of me burst open I could taste his sent, it was so inviting my mind started clouding up going black as the monster inside of me started to take over, and suddenly out of nowhere I was flying backwards as Harry hit the back of the tree. Once I was on the other side of the clearing I took three huge gulps of fresh air clearing my head of the blackness that had engulfed it, I looked over at Harry to check that he was okay, he was staring at me blankly mouth open, I looked down at myself and saw my skin, it was glittering like diamond, I looked back at Harry who choked out a word.

"Vampire."

* * *

//Harry//

That can't be true, Rose is a vampire. Suddenly my whole body screamed for me to start running as fast as I could, to put as much distance between myself and the monster that was standing there in front of me on the other side of the clearing. But no, this was no monster this was Rose, it couldn't be true may creatures have to have the same characteristics as vampires, she can't be one, impossible.

"Vampire?!" I managed to choke out through my throat that was dry as fear took hold of my body.

"Yes." Rose said as she hung her head.

So it was true she was a blood thirsty monster and now I'm alone in the woods with this creature who could flatten and kill me in a matter of seconds. Hang on wait, why hasn't that happened yet? I looked back up at Rose who was standing there on the other side of the clearing not making one move towards me, not making any gesture that would show that I was in any form of danger, this was no monster, this was Rose. Hadn't I been alone with her enough times before without being in danger, why would I be afraid now that I know what she was?

"So you're and vampire?" I asked feeling the fear ebb away as each second passed without being attacked, was she just leading me into a sense of false security? I didn't know but I didn't care either.

"Yes." She looked so ashamed I wanted nothing but to hug her and tell her it would be okay. Without noticing it my legs started to move, I walked towards her across the clearing and before I knew it I put my arms around her and started hugging her giving her comfort. This was either VERY stupid or very brave of me to do so, I just hoped that it wasn't stupid. "Harry?" Rose said as she went stiff as my arms went around her. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know." I said letting go of her taking a few steps back. She was staring at me shocked.

"Don't you care?" She asked.

"I..." I began but she cut across me.

"Don't you get it?! Don't you get what I am?!" She said her voice rising. "I'm a vampire, a monster that hunts humans, hunts their blood. I'm vicious, one wrong move and there you could be, cold dead! Don't you give a shit about your fucking safety!" She finished screaming the last words towards me.

"I do care." I retorted. "When I realised what you were I wanted to run, run as fast as I could, just to get away from you, I feared you."

"So why didn't you!" she shouted glaring at me.

I stood my ground glaring right back. Because I remembered it was you."

We stared at each other for a few moments before Rose drooped he glare. "Harry you have no idea what I am, what I've done."

"You're no monster."

"You don't know what I have done." Rose said grimacing. "If you knew you wouldn't look twice at me."

"You don't know that." I said taking a step forward.

"I do."

"No you don't." I said putting all the emotion possible into the words I said, I wanted her to know that no matter what I would be here for her, if she wanted me or not. "Rose all that I know is that since you have come to this school you have not fed upon one human, you've been loving and caring. Nothing like a monster."

"if you knew..." She trailed off and looked as if she was about to cry.

"Then tell me." I said taking her hand and pulling her down towards the ground where I sat down waiting for her to say something , her skin was still glittering like diamonds and I could not get over how much more beautiful she was like that, it was as if she belonged that way.

"Okay, I'll tell you."

* * *

//Rose//

"My name is not Rose Turner, well it is, but my real name before I was turned was Rose Elson." 'Why are you telling him this!' my thoughts screamed to me as I began my story of how I had ended up here 'He'll hate you!' I knew that he would hate me, not want to be near me again after I told him what I had done, but I wanted him to know, to know what I was, what I had done, So I continued sitting on the floor next to him in the clearing my skin still glittering as the sun hit me from above.

"I had a family, a loving family, they owned a house in the country which they passed down through the generations, it was built in the 16th century and it was beautiful. I grew up there with my mother, father, and two brothers, my mother was so happy to have a girl in the family, my mother loved me best, and my father spared no expense when I became I'll. He paid for the best medical doctors to come from all round England to come and treat me, but they couldn't do anything, you see back then if you were I'll your chances of survival were nearly non-existent and with a disease like tuberculoses there was no hope." I broke off and looked at Harry, he stared back looking shocked.

"How old are you?" He asked suddenly staring at my face as if he could work it out, my face was frozen in time as the picture of the 17 year old girl I was and nothing showed otherwise.

"I was born in 1845 and died 1862, that's the records say, but I never died, I guess you would say that I was re-born." I paused allowing Harry time to take this in before I continued. "When I was diagnosed with the disease my father placed me in a Hospital to be taken care of this was the best thing that he could have done, but when it was concluded that there was no hope he took me out of the hospital and paid for a doctor to come and see if there was anything that could be done. This doctor's name was Garret. Garret was turned 50 years before me as a freak accident by a deranged vampire, he hated what he was turned into more than anyone else that I have met, because of this he has never fed upon a human except those that he turned. I was the first he turned, he was at my bed side in my final hours, my mother was crying asking for god to help her to make me better, but there was nothing that could be done. She turned to Garret and begged him to do anything, anything that would help me though this and he promised that he would do everything in his power to keep me alive. A few minutes after that I went into a coma, Garret pronounced me dead, and my father made the funeral arrangements, I was placed into a coffin, no one noticed that I wasn't dead only in a coma, but garret knew."

I played what Garret had told me in my head and continued whilst Harry stared at me. "Garret took my body and turned me, the coffin was buried empty. I was turned and introduced into this life. It was painful being turned but I made it, and Garret was amazed that I was able to survive he was worried that he wouldn't have been able to do it, but he did. Garret fed upon animals but allowed me to feed upon what I wanted, I chose animals but it was harder for me than it was for Garret I slipped up a couple of times, but her forgave me and helped teach me restraint. I travelled with him from place to place and soon he met Elizabeth who was a vampire from another clan, she joined the family after falling in love with Garret and she in turn found my brother who Garret changed. That was my family, but I still missed my own. I watched my mother, father and brothers grieve me and then eventually move on. I watched as the generations grew and the family expanded, and I watched as it shrank leaving one last boy, Hugo."

I could feel the tears on my cheeks falling down but I continued. "He was young, no older than ten and he was frail, infected with a virus, and I watched as he grew weaker and weaker, moments before he died he was left alone in his room, the doctor had gone ot get more supplies only for a moment, I took my chance and tried to change him, I tried to do what Garret did for me, but I couldn't. He died in my arms. A few months after this I was invited to Hogwarts to study, Dumbledore had found out my magical abilities and asked me to the school in the summer to see if I could be taught safely in the company of others, and here I am. That's my story." I looked at harry waiting for a response.

"Rose." Harry's voice floated over me, he didn't sound angry, he didn't sound disgusted, he sounded sympathetic, he sounded concerned. I looked at him closely from the distance that we were apart, he face was soft welcoming, I didn't know how to react, this was not what I was expecting, I was expecting him to run as fast as he could in the other direction, I expected him to say that i was a monster and they I should go to hell. But not he just sat there looking at me, and before I knew it he leant over and pulled me close to him.

"Rose you aren't a monster, you tried to save him, there was nothing that you could do, it's not your fault." I was so overwhelmed with emotion at his understanding I didn't know what to say other than what I really felt.

"I don't care, I don't want to be a monster, I don't know how you can sit here and know what I am, what I've done and remain so calm, so understanding."

Harry just chuckled, and stroked my hand. "I love you." He whispered into my ear.

"Don't." I said pulling away from him and standing up, moving out of the sunlight so my skin no longer glowed.

"Don't what?" Harry asked standing up and taking a few steps towards me.

"Don't love me." I said not looking at him.

"Why not?"

"Because, I'm too drawn to you."

"I have no problem with that." Harry said shrugging.

"Your blood screams to me more than anyone else, its intoxication, whenever I'm close to you its overpowering, I want nothing else than to just taste it. Does that not scare you?" I looked into his eyes wanting to see fear flash through them.

"Was that what happened when I kissed you?" Harry asked back staring straight back at me.

"Yes."

"Then I have nothing to fear." Harry said smiling.

I stared at him confused replaying the scene in my head when he kissed me. within moments I was there, before Harry, my lips on his, and the blackness didn't come, I was in control, I could taste him, it was the sweetest thing that I have ever tasted in my life. After a few moments I pulled away from Harry who was panting slightly, my arms still round his neck.

"What did you do that for?" He asked as he looked down at me.

"I think the werewolf was right you know." I said smiling at him. "I don't think that I can hurt you."

"What do you want most of all?" Harry asked sleepily as we laid there in the sun.

"To be human." I said without thinking. 'To be human??' was that true...yes it was.

"Why?" He asked confused.

"Eternity is lonely, especially if you have found the one you want to spend the rest of your life with and you can't spend it with them." Why was I saying this it didn't make sense, I wanted to be with Harry for ever but I still had no idea that he would want to be with me forever, it wouldn't work would it?

"I promise to do anything to give you what you want Rose, no matter what." He leant down and kissed my forehead.

We stayed there in that clearing until night fall, I laid in the sun with Harry for hours, my skin glittering. It was more perfect than I ever thought it could be.

* * *

A/N: what do you think; the beginning wasn't good was it? I wanted to change it but I didn't really know how else to convey the bliss that they felt. Hope you enjoyed reading.


	11. Solutions

"There must be something!" Harry said as he slammed the dusty old volume that he was reading shut spraying a large amount of dust in my direction.

"I don't know there might be somewhere, but it's not here." I said closing the book that I was reading and picking up another one which looked no more hopeful than the one that I had just put down. It was the night before the Christmas holidays began and Harry and I were hauled up in the library researching for ways to help him give Rose her life back. It's not that I mind being in the library I love it, to see all those books that I have never read before stacked up on those shelves! It's a rush, well for me anyway. Since Harry and Rose came back from the woods together after their broomstick ride Rose had told that she was a Vampire, she didn't want us to be left in the dark about who she was any longer, Ron freaked out but after a while Harry managed to calm him down. A few days after that Harry came to me asking for help, he gave me the outline of what he and Rose had talked about, no exact details, but I understood, she wanted to be human, to be human for Harry.

Since then Harry and I, and Ron on sparse occasions have been researching, looking for ways of granting her with human life again, but so far we have found nothing. There was a hit in one or two books towards an old scripture from over 3000 years ago, but there seems to be no documented account of it anywhere, though to be honest we haven't got much past the school library. Rose of course doesn't know about this, that's another thing that makes it harder to research we have to wait for moments when she's not around which is a lot harder than it sounds as her and Harry are almost inseparable. We have nearly torn the whole library apart, we've looked in the restricted section and everything!

I think Harry wanted to give her human life as a Christmas present or something but it looks like he won't be able to, in a few hours we are leaving to go to Harry's house where we will be spending the Christmas holidays, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Rose and me. The Weasley's are coming over for Christmas day as well as Lupin and Tonks, and so is Rose's family, but I don't think the Weasley's know what they are. Sirius is coming back just before Christmas but we don't know when exactly, he was coming to stay and then continue on his travels, Harry told him about Rose, but I don't think he told him everything either...I'm getting worried about how this is all going to end and on Christmas!

Enough worrying though, I've got to do one last sort through these books before we go just to check that we haven't missed anything. Harry had lapsed into and angry silence flicking the pages over with such force that I'm afraid that he might rip them. "Hang on!" I say catching a glipse of something on one of the pages that Harry angrily flipped past.

"What?" He said suddenly alert and hopeful. "You seen something?"

"I think I just might have." I said reaching over to take the book from him and flicking back to the page. How did I not notice that! "The symbol." I say staring at it transfixed.

"Yes?" Harry asked looking at it. "What is it?"

"I've never seen this before." I looked more closely at it squinting.

Harry groaned. "Hermione I know you like to broaden your horizons and all but could you do it another time please!"

"Harry I'm not just trying to broaden my horizons, I think this could have something to do with that text mentioned." I said glaring at him from over the book.

Harry turned read. "Sorry." He said sheepishly.

"Just give me a minute, I might be able to work out what it means." I squinted back at the symbol on the page trying to work out what it was, but I had no clue, it was nothing like I have ever seen in my ancient runes books it looked more like Egy-

"That's Egyptian Mione." A gruff male voice sounded suddenly behind me making me jump.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed as he got up to hug his godfather. "What are you doing here?" He asked as Sirius sat down at the table taking the seat in between Harry and me after chucking the books off the chair.

"I thought that I would pop in and take a look and see what Moony's office is like." He chuckled.

"Sirius, what did you mean that this was Egyptian?" I asked pointing to the symbol in the book too engrossed in trying to find out what it was to actually welcome him.

"The symbol its Egyptian, and nothing that you would learn at school." He laughed looking down at it again.

"What does it mean? And how do you know what it is?" Harry asked back on task and excited at the prospect of finding out a possible way to find the solution that we had been looking for.

"It's the Egyptian symbol for The undead. And why shouldn't I know it young Harry, my talents are not just confined to mischief you should know that." Sirius grinned again before picking up the book and scanning the page. "Why are you looking at stuff on vamp's anyway? You're not thinking of joining the ranks of the undead are you?" He said looking between us slightly worried. "Because let me tell it's not all eternal life and beauty, their mindless fiends interested in looking for their next meal, you would feed off you're closest friend if you saw them." Sirius said shaking his head and looking grim.

"Have you ever met any?" I asked confused by his behaviour , it was strange to see Sirius not in a good mood.

"No, if I had I doubt that I would be alive." He paused for a moments before continuing. "But an old friend of mine has, brutal it was ripped to shreds that poor guy." Sirius looked grim for a moment before looking up at the two of us. "So what are you doing with these books?"

Harry hesitated and so did I, after what he had just said I don't think that it would be incredibly bright to tell him that we were looking to help Harry's new girlfriend who just so happened to be a member of the undead club.

"Erm..." Harry said looking at me. "Class project." He tried.

For a second I thought Sirius would see right through this feeble lie, but he didn't. "Anything that I can help you with?" He asked grinning.

"Yes, do you know what this symbol of the undead means." I asked pointing at the symbol again.

"That..." Sirius said thinking. "Well there is this document that's over 3,000 years old, around the time when that symbol would have been used."

"I know, we read something about that document but no details about it, there was nothing in any of these that would give us any information on what the document contains or where we could find it." I said in despair, we had been going round in circles.

"Of course you haven't you're looking in the totally wrong place." Sirius said.

"What?" Harry said confused. "This is all there is on vampires where else are we supposed to look?"

"You could start at papers with Egyptian symbols on, the document that you are looking for is supposed to have instructions to return the being back to human life, like give back the soul of the person." Sirius said leaning forward slightly.

"Soul?" Harry and I said together.

"Yeah, don't you two know what happens to people when they get turned into vampires?" Sirius asked back. Harry and I shook our heads, we didn't think looking up what happens; we concentrated upon looking for reversal. "What happens is basically this, when a vampire bites it injects venom into your body to replace the blood that it takes out, usually vampires just suck the person dry till they are dead, but if they want to turn them they keep the person just alive enough for the venom to travel round the body. Once the venom gets into your body it's a painful process as it changes you, it kills you then brings you back, but the most painful thing is that you lose your soul, that's nothing to do with God or anything the muggles believe, it's the part of you that tells right from wrong, gives you remorse, that kind of thing, it's the part of magic that everyone has in them, when that is removed you don't feel remorse, your an animal I guess." Sirius finished leaning back in his chair.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked looking confused.

"Yep 'fraid so." Sirius said looking slightly grim again.

"Thanks Sirius, you were..." I said looking at Harry's downtrodden face. "You were a great help."

"No problem." He said getting up and starting to walk away. "I think I may go and find Mooney now, surprise him. See you two later at home, can't wait to meet your girlfriend Harry from what you've said she sounds great." He gave Harry a clap on the back before walking out the Library.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes pondering over what Sirius had said, Harry looked glum, it couldn't be true, there was no way that a vampire was just an animal with no sense of remorse, Rose did feel. "Harry..." I said quietly. "Sirius is wrong, he must be, Rose, she's nothing like what he described."

"I know." Harry said looking up. "I think we better go, it's getting late, the others will be wondering where we are." He said picking up the book he was reading, closing it and placing it back on the shelf where it belonged.

"Harry I'll clear up, you still have a few things to pack." I said looking at his sorry face.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yeah, go." I said, Harry walked out, I went over to the shelf where he had placed the book, I took it back out and put it in its correct place. I walked back over to the table where the book with the Symbol was still lying open, I closed my eyes, trying to ignore what I was about to do, I heard the ripping, and there it was the page with the symbol on it in my hand and the book still on the table.

* * *

//Harry//

'What Sirius said must be rubbish it can't be true!' I thought as I walked through the deserted corridors alone. 'She's no animal, she has remorse!' there must be something that I can do.

"Hey Harry!" I heard a voice behind me. I turned to look at who it was. Oh god it was Colin! I continued walking acting as if I had not heard him. "Harry, Harry!" He continued to all after me, I could hear his feet they were running. I could no longer ignore him so I turned around to look at him.

"What do you want Colin?" I asked politely waiting for that moment where he would hold up his camera, but he didn't, instead his handed me a piece of parchment.

"This is for you, it's from Dumbledore, he wants you to come to his office." Colin said panting.

"His office?" I asked confused looking at the parchment, I opened it, there was one word written there in curly green hand writing 'Bubblegum'. "Is this a joke?" I asked looking at Colin.

"No, he gave it to me just now as I passed the gargoyle down there, asked me to give this to you." Colin said. "Harry are you in trouble or something?" He asked his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He thought he was going to be getting the inside scoop on why I had been called to Dumbledore's' office, like I would tell him even if I knew. "Colin, trust me if I knew you would be the first to know okay." I said folding up the parchment and putting it in my pocket. "Which gargoyle?"

Colin pointed me to the one, I walked up to it feeling slightly stupid, I assumed the password was 'bubblegum' even so I felt quite strange at saying it in the middle of the corridor. "Bubblegum." The gargoyle jumped aside and let me though to the winding staircase that brought me up to a oak door which I knocked at.

"Come in." Said the voice behind the door and I entered. "Ah Mister Potter take a seat." Dumbledore said welcoming me in and gesturing to the seat in front of his desk.

I sat down looking at the sleeping portraits on the wall above Dumbledore's desk. "You wanted to see me sir." I said looking back at him.

"Yes I did Harry, may I call you Harry." He asked smiling.

"Yes." I said confused.

"Thank you, I just always think that first names are right for these kind of meetings." He said folding his hands. "Sherbet lemon?" He asked signalling a bowl on the side of his desk.

"Erm, no I'm fine." Maybe Ron was right that he was out of his mind.

"Now Harry tell me how exactly do you feel about Rose?"

I stared blankly back? He was asking me about my love life! I opened my mouth to tell him that it was none of his business before deciding to be truthful, there must be some reason for him to be asking about this. "Well...I love her." I said going a bit red, this is not the kind of conversation that I would like to be having with my headmaster.

"Good, good." He said smiling. "Now you want to give her her life back?"

"How do you..." Dumbledore held up his hand.

"Harry I know a lot more than you might think, and I want to assist." He stood up and walked over to a cabinet and took out a slab of stone. "I believe you wanted this." He said placing the stone on the desk and beckoning me towards it.

I looked at it, it was fully of symbols I had no idea about, then I saw the one symbol in the top corner. "This is about the undead." I said quietly not wishing to believe it.

"Yes, took me about a while to track it down but its here." He smiled at me again and I couldn't help but smile back.

"I don't know what to say, thank you."

"Don't worry about it Harry, it's the least I could do for Rose, she deserves a life, a full life." He paused. "Now let me tell you a little something that your godfather missed out about vampires." He sat down again and so did I. "Now, quite a lot of them are how he described them, mindless killing machines, but some, some have a little bit of themselves inside, those are the ones that have remorse and feeling. They usually group together as a family and create strong bonds, some find soul mates who are the ones they will been drawn to for eternity." He paused again and looked at me. "It seems that you are Rose's, I knew there was something guiding her to here, her magic was calling to Hogwarts and I replied by bringing her here and now I know why. Destiny." He stopped and looked down at the stone again. "Harry you now have to decide if you want to risk everything for her."

Did I want to risk everything for her? "I do. I'll do anything it takes, just tell me." I said standing up.

"You do know there is still a chance that she could say no? She could decide to be with her family." I nodded.

"But I have to try don't I?"

"Yes, yes you do." Dumbledore got up and walked round the table. "To return a vampire back to human form you have to pass four tests, one of knowledge, one of bravery, one of faith and one of love." He looked hard into my eyes, it felt as if he was penetrating though me. "Are you ready?"

"I am?" I said hoping that I was.

"Okay, read this." He handing me a sheet of parchment that had words written on it.

"I call upon the underlord, the keeper of the keys and the angels in the heavens, here me now, enslaved in eternal life no more, drinker of human flesh no more, I call upon thee to release thy hold and bring back the soul from the earth below." The office started to shake, there was a ripping sound and out of nowhere a swirling portal opened.

"Harry go now! Before it is too late!"

Without knowing where I was headed I walked into the swirling mass of darkness before me and I was swallowed up by hell. Harry


	12. Lies

//Hermione//

Oh god where has he gone! My heart is pounding as I looked round the common room franticly looking for Harry, he had gone somewhere when he had left the library but it wasn't to his dorm, it wasn't to the common room, it wasn't to the Quidditch pitch, and it wasn't to go downstairs to start the journey home his stuff was still here and no one had seen him since! Ron had started asking questions and Rose though she tried not to shows it looked slightly on edge, when I heard that Harry hadn't come back I had told them that Harry had gone to see Sirius and Lupin, I assumed that he had, but when I went to see them he hadn't. He was gone and without a trace what was I supposed to do! I sat down heavily into an arm chair exhaling worrying franticly about where Harry was.

"Miss Granger there is no need to fret." A smooth calming voice sounded from behind me, I jumped slightly turning around to look at the old wizard that was standing in the middle of the common room, it was none other than Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor, Harry Potter has gone missing." I said trying to keep the panic out of my voice as I soke.

"I know, I was the one that sent him away." Dumbledore replied calmly walking towards where I was sitting.

"What!" I jumped up. "Where have you sent him? What's going on?"

"Don't fret Miss Granger, Harry should be back for Christmas I sent him to retrieve the present that he had in mind for Miss Turner." He said, his eyes twinkling behind his half moon glasses.

"How did you..." I started before he cut me off.

"I know most things that go on in this school, but I will stress that it would be unwise to make the others known about Mister Potter's whereabouts at this moment in time, allow him the decency of a surprise." I nodded in agreement, Dumbledore smiled. "Now you must be off before you miss the train." I walked towards the portrait hole, but before going though I tuned looking Dumbledore in the eye.

"Harry will be alright won't he?" I asked worry pouring into my words as I thought of what Harry might have to be going through that would take him over a week to complete.

"I have my full faith in Harry." He said smiling again in that weirdly calming way he did. I nodded again turning back to the portrait hole and walking down to join the others in the entrance hall where we would be starting our journey home that evening. What was I going to say, I had to make up a reason!

Ron, Ginny and Rose looked up at me expectantly. "Why is Harry not with you?" Rose asked looking straight at me with her golden eyes, what was I going to say she could tell that I was lying a mile off.

"I'm sure Harry's just coming." Ginny said looking expectantly up at the marble staircase obviously looking for Harry, who would not be appearing anytime soon.

"Hermione where's Harry?" Rose asked still looking at me. She must know! Oh no! I hope she can't read minds! Rose raised her eye brows waiting for my answer.

"Erm..." I said looking away from her and towards Ginny who was looking at me too, I couldn't look at Rose and see the worry that was hidden in her eyes and lie, Ginny also looked worried but I had known her far longer and knew that at least she couldn't rip me limb from limb in a matter of seconds if she found out that Harry was missing, and though Dumbledore had not said it directly, might not come back. "He had some urgent business to attend to, something to do with Quidditch." I said making it up as I went along pausing to look at Rose who had narrowed her eyes slightly, then I caught eyes with Ron who looked confused.

"Is it something to do with the new broom model that is being released?" He asked me. Thank god! I knew there was a reason that I loved this guy so much, he was so unobservant that it was sweet! He was the perfect guy for me, he had wittingly given me a reason for Harry being away.

"Yes Ron your right, Harry's gone to check out the new broom, just him not the rest of the team, the seeker has got to have the best broom you know." I said smiling sheepishly hoping that Rose was not going to point out my obvious lying to the others just when I think I may have fooled them. Ginny nodded and turned to pick up her bags, Ron looked slightly glum.

"Why didn't he tell me that he was going to get measured for a custom made broom I would have gone with him." Ron complained looking upset.

"Ron I'm sure Harry just wanted you to be around to hold down the fort." I said thinking quickly, he looked back at me with his cute confused expression that he wore most of the time. "Three girls alone in a house Harry probably wants you to be there to make sure we are all safe."

"Isn't Sirius there though?" Ginny asked.

"Oh you know Sirius he's in and out constantly, and making sure three girls are safe is probably not his idea of a fun way to spend Christmas." I said forcing a laugh that must have sounded incredibly fake, but the others seemed to buy it as they shrugged, well except Rose who still looked at me with a calculating state.

"I think that it would be right down on his list as an ideal way of spending Christmas actually." Ron said. "Ouch!" He said once I hit him over the head.

"Don't suggest that Sirius is some pervert Ron." I complained looking horrified at what Ron said, though not surprised, Sirius was still quite the playboy that he had been back when he was at school.

"Sorry." Ron said, when he gave me that cute apologetic look though his brilliant blue eyes I just wanted to kiss him. In fact I think I will.

"Don't worry about it Ron, I'm sorry for hitting you." I said after I pulled away from Ron. "Let go we don't want the train to leave without us do we." I said picking up my bags and moving forward holding Ron's hand. Rose followed keeping step with us not saying anything, her face blank of emotion, I just hoped that she wouldn't tell the others that she thought that I was lying.

* * *

//Rose//

Something is not right, all night on the train Hermione was too happy, she was trying to direct the conversation in any way that it could be except in the direction of Harry and Quidditch. As soon as she did not come back with Harry I knew something was up no one had seen him for the rest of the day. It was disconcerting. There's something wrong, something that only Hermione knows and she doesn't want anyone else to know that's obvious the way she tenses up every time they mention Harry of Quidditch even in passing. I watched thinking of what I should do when I saw Hermione move out of the corner of my eye.

"Rose." She said quietly trying not to wake up Ginny and Ron who were fast asleep.

"Yes." I said just as quietly, she stood up and came to take the empty seat next to me.

"I'm sorry that I am lying about where Harry is, but I need to." She said pleading with her eyes for me to understand.

"Why what's going on?" I could see tears appearing in her eyes. "He's okay isn't he? Where is he?" I asked, panic rising up in me, what if he was not safe! What if something happened to him, something that I didn't know about he would be gone forever, I would ever see him again.

"I don't know, I think he's fine, I'm sorry that's all I know. I'm just as worried as you but please don't tell the others, he should be back by Christmas I think, if he's not then I will tell you everything else I know, I'm sorry it's what Harry wanted; he really loves you." She finished one tear rolling down her face that was lit by the moon that was on display outside in the night's sky.

"Okay, until Christmas, then I want answers." I said tearing my gaze away from the girls face.

"Thank you." She said touching my arm briefly before returning to the seat next to Ron, where she laid down and fell to sleep leaning her head on his chest.

I watched them for a long while, they looked perfect together sleeping soundly cut off from the rest of the world, Hermione cuddled herself to him her shivers of cold subsiding as he wrapped his arms round her tighter. I wish Harry could hold me like that without having to place a warming charm between us. I looked towards Ginny, she was sleeping peacefully a small chain around her neck with a locket hanging from the end of it. Gently I pulled the locket towards me trying not to wake her, I opened it and looked inside, there I wizard picture of all her family including Harry, Hermione, Lupin and another man who I supposed to be Sirius Harry's godfather. They were all standing in front of a stadium Harry grinning holding a cup in one hand with the other draped around Ginny's waist holding her. I closed the locket, letting go of the necklace moving back over to my seat looking out of the window again and the rising light that was hidden by a thick layer of cloud.

The picture could not be more than a year old, Harry had looked so happy there, both he and Ginny did, I know that the picture was there for sentimental reason as it was one of the few with all her family included in, and that Ginny and Harry only held brotherly and sisterly love towards each other but I couldn't help myself feeling jealous. I could not forget the fact that Ginny could give Harry everything that he had ever wanted, a family, someone warm to hold in the night, someone to grow old with. I couldn't do any of those things, I would remain young forever whilst Harry would get old and eventually die, I am cold skinned and would only benefit heat wise during the summer months by cooling down the bed enough so that it was comfortable to sleep in, during the winter I would near freeze him, and a family, that was a whole different story. Harry and I had moved to the point where I could control myself long enough to kiss him, and taste his lips, but no further, and I fear that we never could, if I lost control with him that would be the end. I hadn't talked to Harry about this but I guess he knew as he never tired to push me, he always let me control the situation just in case it became too intense for me, but I knew that every time I pulled away and stopped it was getting harder for both me and him to actually stop.

Now I had to spend 11 days alone without him! I had not spent much more than half a day without him, I even snuck into his room during the night to sit and talk to him late into the evening and then watch him sleep holding me in his arms. It would be perfect if I knew I could make Harry completely happy, I want to be human not just for him but also for me, I wanted to feel the warmth again, grow old and die with him, I wanted him to feel the speed of my heart when he kissed me just like I felt his. I may not be a monster but nor am I a human only if there was a way I would do anything even if it meant that I had to walk through hell and back again I would, I would do it all for him, because I loved him more than anything, it was unconditional, pure, like fire burning deep within my heart.

* * *

//Harry//

I was swallowed up by hell. That is the only way to describe the place that I was now standing in, the thick smell of ash in the air, the burning heat that surrounded me, the tick black jagged stone walls that covered all sides, the strange red light that filled the room where I was standing.

"Hello?" I called into the room looking this way and that for a being of some time.

"Hello Harry Potter." A voice said in the darkness. A figure approached me from the shadows, the figure appeared in the red light; it was a tall man, he was ghostly pale, with high cheek bones a tall thin frame, black hair smoothed off his face and piercing red eyes. Somehow I knew this person whoever they were was not human.

"Hello." I said again even less sure that I had been before, was this really a smart thing to do throwing myself into the centre of the unknown perhaps never to resurface?

"You have called upon me." He said smiling displaying a row of menacing white teeth as sharp as daggers. This was not good!

"Yes I have." I said trying to keep my voice from wavering as his red eyes bore into me.

"You have come here to restore a lost soul to its walking body. I haven't had a human attempt to do so for many years now." He said coming closer to me, his footsteps silent on the stone floor. I stood my ground, trying to ignore the fear pulsing though my veins that was screaming at me to get out of there as fast as possible. "How lovely." He said smirking wickedly. "This is going to by such fun. " He chuckled a deep mirthless chuckle. "For me anyway." His teeth glinted in the red light again. Oh god I was never going to make it out alive was I?

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the time lag in the update, the next one will hold the tasks, but I wanted to separate them out. Thanks for reading.


	13. Tasks

This chapter is going to be short sorry, I hope you enjoy reading it, this is all that I can write because I have loads of work to do but I didn't want to leave the update for ages like I did last time. I'll try and update soon.

* * *

//Harry//

"My name is Amdis." The man standing before me said. "Let's start with the tests." Amdis said grinning his sharp teeth at me again, I nodded meekly knowing that there was no turning back now. "The test of knowledge; Mountains will crumble and temples will fall, and no man can survive its endless call. What is it?" Amids watched me as the words went through my head.

This wasn't so hard, it was an easy one, why was it so easy? I second guessed myself not knowing if it was as easy as it seemed, this was my only shot at it anyhow, and what happen if I got it wrong? I looked at Amdis again, he didn't seem to want me to leave here alive, he seemed to be waiting for me to fail. That I could not do, so I got one chance and one chance only and I could not mess it up; I could not get this wrong or it would be over before I was even close. 'Mountains will crumble and temples will fall' okay that has something to do with decay which happens over a long period of time. 'no man can survive its endless call', people can avoid decay so that can't be it and its not endless. So what is endless? As I processed the riddle in my head Amdis watched me his piercing red eyes fixed on me. Time? Time is endless, mountains and temples will crumble over it, and no man can escape it even those that are living but who can never die. That's it!

"Time." I said confidently hoping that it was not wrong.

"Well done Harry Potter." Amdis said clapping slowly with his hands. "But that was by the easiest task there is, so I would not start congratulating myself just yet." Flames erupted around the stone room turning it into a circular ring with me on the inside and Amdis on the outside. "Now for the second, the task of bravery, this is my favourite." There was a large figure moving on the other side of the fire, and Amdis grinned slyly. "Meet the Chimaera."

The Chimaera had the head and body of a lion, the legs of a goat and a snake for a tail. I stood there frozen looking at this mysterious dangerous creature the was purring low and dangerously and was prowling from side to side never taking its eyes off me. I reached for my wand in my pocket and pulled it out.

"You think it will be as easy as that?" Amdis said laughing his deep menacing laugh. I looked down at the wand and tried to make sparks fly out of it. Nothing. So there was no magic to be used, fine I would have to do this the old fashioned way, with my hands. Just as I was getting used to this idea the Chimaera roared loudly getting ready to pounce on me, and then it was off flying through the air towards me. I just avoided the creature and death by jumping away at the last second, but I wasn't quick enough, I felt the sharp teeth of the animal tighten around my ankle, I felt the snap before it was released. I was lying on the floor, ankle broken, and a monstrous creature leaning over me. What was I going to do now?

* * *

//Rose//

It's been four days since I last seen Harry, and there is no sign that he was going to be repapering soon, I was getting worried. Ron seemed happy with the thought that Harry was off getting measured and tested for a new broom, apparently it could sometimes take up to a whole week to be properly fitted. Ginny seemed to accept the excuse that Hermione gave but she had been shooting sidelong looks at Hermione as if waiting for her to tell her something that as missing. Sirius was, as Hermione mentioned, always in and out of the house never staying for too long at a time, he still hadn't realised or been told what I was, and it didn't seem like he would any time soon, I had kept up a human routine, coming down for meal times, going up to bed to sleep. Sirius didn't seem bothered by Harry's lack of appearance, it seemed that only Hermione and me were worried. Hermione spend a lot o time looked out of the window, and looking through dusty old volumes trying to find something which I had no idea about.

The only way that I could stop going crazy from missing him was by spending my nights in his room, his sent surrounding me made me feel safe, I was counting down the days till I would find out what was going on, I just hoped that whatever it was it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

//Hermione//

Where has he gone! I've been searching through volume after volume and still have found nothing, the Black library is full of ancient texts that each held the secret to some forgotten magic, but there was nothing in here that give the slightest clue to the whereabouts of Harry, what was I going to tell Rose if Harry did not return. What would we all do if he never returned?

* * *

//Harry//

Amdis laughed as I fell to the ground once again, my ankle hurt worse than anything that I had ever felt before, I couldn't walk on it and there before me was the monstrous Chimaera its teeth bared, I was bruised with bites over my arms from the snake tail. This was much harder that I thought it would be, I had been dodging and diving away from the creature for a while now and I had no idea how I was ever going to escape it. The snake swung round again, I ducked it just missing me; this is where I would love how to talk parselmouth. The Chimaera turned around again baring its teeth and scraping his hoof on the stone floor making sparks fly, this was bad, the creature was charging towards me, I was standing up my ankle pained, there was nothing else that I could do I was pushed up against the wall of fire and the animal was coming in too fast for e to jump out of the way, so I did the only thing that I could do, I bent my knees and used the agility that I had gained during my years as a seeker to jump up on my right leg allowing my left to drag behind me. The creature skidded to a halt before the wall of fire below me, I fell back down as the gravity pulled me down and there the Chumaera was below me with me sitting on its back. The snake acting as its tail turned towards me fangs out, forked tongue out stretched tasting the air, I grabbed it at the neck dodging its attempt on attacking me. The snake choked, I pulled it hard hearing a crack the Chimaera roared a whipped round in pain, I took that moment to take the snake that was still writhing slightly and pass it round the Chimaera's neck, I pulled it tight; the Chimaera choked, coughed, and then fell down on the floor starved of oxygen and dead. I released the snake and rolled off the beast breathing hard, out of breath, bruised, bleeding, and exhausted.

"You did better than I thought." Amdis said clapping slowly the flames died down once again trusting the room into the deep red glow. I looked up he was standing over me. "Such a sweet boy you are." He ran his finger along my bloodied cheek and bringing it o his lips and tasting the blood. "Mmm, very sweet." He placed a hand under my arm and lifted me sharply off the grounds, I hissed in pain as I landed harshly on my broken ankle. "You have survived two of the challenges but now it is time to test your loyalty." Amdis leant towards me his white teeth gleaming. "You ready?"

"Yes." I managed to say before I felt blinding pain on my neck as teeth scraped and then bit down. My head started spinning and the area that was bitten was becoming colder the pain spreading up my neck to my face, and down to my chest, it was becoming hard to breathe then the teeth left my neck and I fell back down to the floor writhing in pain gritting my teeth to stop calling out.

Amdis was standing above me, he licked his lips. "I can stop the pain if you would like, there is no cure." My eyes opened wide the words barely being recognised through the pain..

"No cure?" I managed through gritted teeth throwing my head back in pain as the coldness spread further.

"Nope." He red eyes glinted. "There is only one way that you can see her again, join her, live the half life she lives, or I can take the pain away and all of this, all the feeling that you feel will disappear before you, there will be no pain." I gritted my teeth as the pain grew, it was becoming hard to breath now my lungs felt like they were being gripped and the breaths were coming in short gasps, I felt as if I was dying. "What will you choose?"

* * *

//Hermione//

It's Christmas eve now, midnight is approaching and tomorrow Rose's family is coming to spend Christmas dinner with us, along with Ron's family, there was no way that Sirius could not notice that there was five vampires in his house and no Harry. The others had started asking questions but I just said that he had been held up by Quidditch, I don't think they are buying it anymore. What am I going to do if he doesn't return?

* * *

//Harry//

The pain hurt beyond belief I was twisting and turning on the ground yelling out as the pain doubled taking hold of me fully I chocked, breath had stopped coming, I was trapped there was nothing left of me. I just wished it would stop, I wish everything would just stop.

"Do you want it to stop?" Amdis said slowly bending down to whisper in my ear.

Oh god I did, I wanted it to stop but I couldn't, I had to work through it because even if there was no cure I wanted to be with Rose, no matter what, and if I died because of the pain then I would take it. I had enough breath for one word. "No." I coughed out and with it came a mouthful of warm red liquid that felt as if it was burning in my cold mouth.

"So be it." Amdis said. "See you on the other side." That was the last I could remember before I blacked out and fell into darkness.


	14. Falling for an ice heart

//Harry//

I was falling through air. I could feel the rush of air around me, I opened my eyes it was black, nothing was there I couldn't even see hand in front of my own face. I must have been lost, lost to the world. I started slowing down, red flames erupted around me, I landed on my back beaten and broken on the ground. I coughed spurting out a mouthful of blood, and looked up taking in my surroundings.

"Well done Harry Potter." Amdis said coldly. I sat up and turned towards his voice, I was in the same room as I was before nothing to suggest my previous fight but the injuries that I felt on me. "You made it. So now you receive your prize." He lent out his hand to me, inside was a small purple velvet box, I reached out my hand to it but stopped short.

"What about the last task, aren't there supposed to be four." My mouth ached but I managed to choke out the words in a scratchy, throaty voice.

Amdis started to laugh his teeth gleaming against the fire light. "Yes, but you passed it, your heat was pure, you wanted the gift for someone else, someone that you would risk your life for, you were willing to die to grant them this. Agape, that's what was flowing through you, it is a love that people have for one another and a love that few now have the means to feel. It is the greatest of all of the tasks, and one that few people have ever passed. Stand up, take your prize and go, live happily for as long as your life lasts. The one who this is meant for will be restored to full life at the age that they died at."

I lifted myself up slowly, felling the ache and the pain and numerous bruises, cuts, bites, and broken bones. Slowly I lifted my hand and took the box from Amdis, it was light but warm, it felt familiar like I was home. "Thank you." I said feeling power restored to me slowly as my mind caught up whit what was happening, with what I had won.

"I wish you the best Harry Potter, and that I will never see you again as long as I may live. " Amids inclined his head to me, and I the same to him. He brought his hand up and clicked his fingers together and there I was again in the rushing darkness holding onto the small box for dear life and despite the pain and exhaustion I was feeling I smiled knowing what was waiting for me on the other side.

* * *

//Rose//

Here they are my parents, Hermione went out early this morning to get the last minute food's that she had on order so I have not been able to find her to ask her about Harry, he was still not back yet and there was no sign that he was coming soon, the others were worried too now each asking the other if they had heard anything from him whatsoever over the holidays, neither had which was unusual, even Sirius was worried. The doorbell rung, I could smell them before I heard the doorbell ring, my mother, father, brother and his wife on the doorstep four vampires and Sirius had no idea what he was in for.

"I'll get that, it must by your parents Rose, very prompt aren't they." Sirius said bounding over to the door dressed in dark blue robes, his wavy black hair tied back for the occasion. Ron and Ginny had come back up from the kitchen waiting to see Sirius's reaction. I walked down the stairs slowly dressed in dark blue jeans and one of Harry's smaller shirts, I needed to surrounded by his sent today the pain of him being gone had tripled as I realised that he may not be coming back from wherever he had gone if he was not back today.

"Ah, you must be Garret and Elizabeth, pleased to meet you, Sirius Black, Harry's godfather." Sirius said holding out his hand in greeting. James half smirked at Joanna as Garret closed his hand around Sirius's causing Sirius to gasp at the sudden cold then back away slowly. "What are you?" he said looking between me and my family noticing the similarities between us.

"Sirius, they are vampires we thought that it's best that you didn't know till they arrived." Ginny said quickly watching as Sirius turned to her, white shock on his face.

"You allowed blood suckers into my home without telling me!" He roared casing Ginny and Ron to back away slightly in fear.

"Sirius they don't drink human blood they drink animal blood to sustain themselves. They aren't dangerous at all. Look at Rose she and Harry have been dating for the past term and she's never hurt him."

"Vampires are vampires despite how they may act Ron, they are mindless killing machines with only one thought of where their next meal may come from, no idea of real human feelings." Sirius said

"No idea of real human feelings." I said stricken from the pain of those words. "Mr. Black I peg your pardon but I don't see how you can raise such an unwarranted accusation, if you have not noticed your godson has been missing for the past days, you have not see not heard from him during the time he has been away, and you have barley even noticed that he has gone, in actual fact you seem to not worry about his whereabouts. I on the other hand have felt his absence for days, it has pained me not to have him close and near, I love Harry and if he does not return today I do not know how I can cope in this world without him. His sent when it first touched my senses struck me, I wanted to taste him, I admit I did, but I resisted. Since then we have become friends and then lovers, I would sooner die than live without him. I question the relationship we have every day, not because of lack of feeling or affection but because I love Harry so much that I don't think I can allow him to live a life with me, because whatever happens the life that we share together can never be no more than a half life. Either he lives and dies mortal with no children and a relationship that I cannot fulfil totally because I am scared and afraid of hurting him in the process. The other life would be one where he joins my kind, and that is a fate that I will not bestow on him, as though I would happily spend eternity with him his life is too precious, too pure, too beautiful to take away from selfish reasons. Do you doubt my feelings?" Sirius stared me in the eye as if searching for lies that lay beneath my words.

"I'm afraid what my daughter says is true, she loves your godson. We mean you no harm to come here, you my dislike our kind but we mean no harm to any human who we come across. We have chosen a different way of life from the others. If you want us to be gone then we will gladly leave, but the courtship that your godson and our daughter have entered means that there is little way around us never interacting with one another." My mother addressed Sirius with deadly regard that I had not notice before. I watched Sirius for a reaction, he merely stared at her as she spoke, half entranced by her fluency and her beauty and half fearful at what she was. There was a few moments of silence after mine and my mother's speech as everyone held their breath waiting for the next reaction that Sirius would give.

"Harry's missing?" Sirius said slowly as if this was the only information that he could process at that moment in time.

"Yes." I said, eyes filling up with tears at the mere thought of him being gone.

"Where?"

"I don't know." My throat felt dry as I said the words, trying to maintain a hold on me emotions.

"I think I can help you out there." I whipped round and my eyes fixed upon hazel brown ones of the girl that I had spent the morning waiting for, Hermione was standing there behind my family, three large heavy looking bags in her hands, her eyes were red and her face filled with worry. As I stared at her my annoyance at her lack of compliance at telling me the truth about Harry faded away, she was obviously as worried about him as I was.

* * *

//Hermione//

"I don't know much, I only know part of what is going on." I was standing up at the end of the table which was dressed for Christmas dinner that was supposed to be cooking now. Rose's family as well as the Wesley's, Sirius and Lupin were sitting around the table looking up at me eyes burning into me all wanting to know the one thing that I could not tell them. Where Harry was. "It all started a few weeks ago, Harry came to me with a request he wanted to give you back your life Rose, he wanted to make you human again." Everyone in the room turned to look at her.

"But that's not possible." Ginny said looking between Rose and me.

"Actually it is." Garret said looking at his daughter. "There is an old legend that says that if someone can pass four tasks then they can reunite the body of the walking dead with its soul, its life force." Mr. Weasley looked back around at me at this.

"So Harry found out how to do it?"

"Yes."

"Where did he find it?"James asked suddenly.

"I don't know." I admitted truthfully. "We were looking but we didn't find anything, the nearest thing we found was this symbol." I pulled out the scrap of paper that I had taken to carrying around trying to match old documents to the symbol.

"That's the symbol of the un-dead that you were looking at." Sirius pointed at the paper in my hand.

"I know and I have looked through documents and documents but nothing has come up. The night that we found this Harry was called to Dumbledore's office and after that I do not know. The only thing that Dumbledore said was that he should be home by Christmas and that he had every trust in him to make it back safely."

"So let me get this straight Dumbledore sent Harry off to somewhere that no one knows where it is in order to retrieve a vampires soul and he could possible not be coming back?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed hysterically.

"Yes. I know it's not good and that I should not have kept you all in the dark for this long but I didn't know what else to do, I was hoping he would be back here by now, I didn't want to believe that me night not come back." All the worry that I had been feeling everything thing that had been building up for the past days was suddenly flooding to the surface. All the doubts, the worry, the frustration of not being able to tell people about this, it hurt, I could no longer contain it, the tears started falling and I was sobbing hard into my hands. I felt an arm circle around my shoulders and pull me tightly into their hard chest.

"It's going to be fine, no matter what we are going to get through this." I heard Ron's voice whisper in my ear comforting me, allowing me to release all the pent up feelings, sometimes I forgot how much I loved this boy, he might be stupid and narrow minded and forgetful at times but he was always there for me when I needed him and now I needed him more than anything in the world.

"What am I meant to do?" Rose was standing up tears silently falling down her face.

"I'm sorry, I don't..." I trailed off not knowing what to say.

"He risked everything to get me back my life and now he's gone because of it, and I don't even know where he is." She was shouting at me now anger filling her. "You still have the one that you love, I have nothing but this half life that I've been living in, I have watched as the last of my line die out, and I will continue to watch the rest of the world crumble whilst I still live on in a shell of existence." She turned towards her family. "You know what it is like to be alone, people want to live forever, all that I want to do it live, I'm sorry I love you all deeply but Harry he was the last thing that was holding me from insanity."

Elizabeth nodded her eyes welling up. "How are you going to find them?" Garret asked.

"No you can't!" James said standing up.

"You can't what?" Ginny asked confused looking between the family of vampires that were talking almost too fast to understand.

"James what is she talking about?" Joanna asked clasping James arm. He turned to her and said one word in a fast whisper so that no one else could catch what he said. "She can't no!"

"I have to."

"No you can't, I refuse to allow you." James said almost pleading.

"You refuse to allow me? You do not tell me what I can and can't do. Do not even think that that the past years that we have lived together have given you the right to tell me that I cannot see them." Rose said in a deadly whisper taking a step forward towards her brother.

"I can't just let you do this, this is your life, you can't just throw it over some mortal."

"James you have no say in this, I may not agree what Rose is planning on doing but we must let her do what she thinks is right, she has seen much more than you, she has never truly felt part of this life, none of us have, but we have something to hold us to it, Rose has never it's her life to choose."

Elizabeth turned towards her daughter. "Is there not another way? Do you have to see them?"

"Who is them?" Sirius asked angrily not wanting to be left in the dark no more. This was getting me worried, it made no sense what they were saying.

"They are a clan of our kind that are famous for keeping the peace between other clan, harbouring the gifts of other vampires and destroying ones that plead them to." Garret explained looking at his daughter, and then back at the others. My heart skipped a beat, was this what she was talking about? Giving up her life?

"You can't." I said before I could stop myself. "Harry wouldn't have wanted you to, and we don't even know that he is gone."

"He's not here is he, and we may never know if he is going to be coming back so what am I meant to do live forever knowing that I've lost the only love of my life?" Everyone was silent; I had nothing more to say. "When you have lived as long as I have then you realise that this world is not as wonderful as it first appears to be and the only things that are worth staying for are those people that impact your life, the ones you love, the ones that you can never leave." She took a deep breath and continued talking into the silence of the others. "I could go on, but I know what it is like to have everything that you wanted everything that you could wish for, and now it is gone I can't wish for anything more so what is the use in staying, tell me that."

We stood there, I knew if we tried to stop her then none of us would last long, the grief that was rolling off of her. Rose turned to go her face set, the out of nowhere there was a flash of blinding white light that filled the room, a great whirling sound, a dark figure fell from the ceiling and upon the table with a crash. 'It can't be.'

* * *

//Harry//

I coughed, chocked and spluttered. I had landed on something hard and cold, I felt my arm crush below the force of my weight. I opened my eyes, my glasses were cracked but I could still see through them to the group of people that were looking down at me. I could make out one face more clearly than the others.

"Rose." I said pulling breath into my lungs from where it had been knocked out by the force of the fall.

"Harry." she came forward timidly reaching her cold hand towards my face. "Where have you been, you are hurt." With her help I was lifted up into a sitting position cradling my arm, the room moved around me and all I could see was her tear stained face. "I thought you had died." She cried out trying to hold in her tears.

"I went to hell and back, and have retrieved something that I hope you will accept." I held out the little box towards her. "Do you accept life, life with me?"

Rose smiled, and inside I melted for the hundredth time at the sight of her beautiful smile. "Always." She kissed my lips as I opened the box up. Her cold lips grew in warmth he touch became fire and there out of nowhere was the beating of her heart a smooth beat, I could feel it her heart, it was the best feeling that I had ever felt.

"Your heart." I said not knowing what else to say once she had pulled away.

"I know." She looked down at the place where our hands rested clasped together above her heart. "I love you." She whispered, smiling the truest smile I had ever seen.

"I love you too."

This was the moment that I realised that it would last forever, even past death, and this is where the story of finding something I never knew existed ends and becomes a fairy tale that lived happily ever after. There is no more reasonable explanation that I can decide upon except unconditional love that has led me here. It saved my life in hell and brought back the life of the one I love. I am gripped in this place forever, not a moment fixed in time but a person fixed in feeling that has never wavered since the moment that I felt it. And this is where the story ends and an untold chapter begins.

* * *

Thank you for reading this story, I enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading this.


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